The Bird With The Green Eyes
by Mackie Effing Mad
Summary: AU No Meghan, Puck and Ash are still enemies. Ally Bane is an ultimately normal girl. She takes care of her siblings while her mother shoots up in her room, only coming out for work. When the mysterious green-eyed raven that has been watching her turns out to be an infamous faery, her whole world is flipped as she realizes she may not be as normal as she initially thought.
1. The Bird With The Green Eyes

** Hey, it's Mackie again :]. I know, first update in a while. This is an idea I got a while back, and I don't know if it's going anywhere, so it's just a oneshot. I think I'm just going to do oneshots for a while, to get my shit together before I start prolonged stories again. I apologize for not updating Riddles or Night for a long time, I've just had things I've been doing and…it just hasn't been my top priority. Forgive me X( I really am very sorry. I'm thinking about re-doing both, actually. One at a time. Maybe it'll be easier that way. Anyway, enjoy! (Please don't hate me and refrain from throwing sharp objects in my general direction. Thanks. Xoxo)**

**The Bird with the Green Eyes**

The raven was sitting on a branch just above her, staring down at her with a calm, indifferent gaze. Its eyes had her instantly captivated. How many birds had shining emerald eyes that looked so human and yet so feral at the same time? She was intrigued by this rare occurrence. Considering this wasn't the first day she had caught it looking at her so intensely, she was also a bit bewildered. What could such a beautiful thing want with a simple girl such as herself? She had never been someone who guys would stop and stare at, and she was sure there was nothing extraordinary about her. Layered caramel hair that made it to her shoulders, sky blue eyes, and pale pink lips were really all she had to offer. She was dressed in a baby blue hoodie with a black tank top underneath and distressed jeans. All in all she was very ordinary.

She had always been fascinated with birds. Sleek, colorful feathers and fragile, hollow bones that could take them virtually anywhere. Sometimes she wished she was one, soaring through the skies and not worrying about a drugged up mother and how she would feed her younger brother and sister. She always scolded herself afterword, though. Without her, the young boy and girl would have no one to depend on; it was her duty as an older sibling to care for them when their mother could not.

Without her noticing the bird had swooped to a lower branch, now at eye level with her, and holding her questioning gaze with its uncanny green eyes. Its tiny head was cocked to the side as it looked on in mild interest. The girl wished absently that she had brought her sketch pad, to capture such a moment. The bird ruffled its shiny black feathers and _cawed _softly, and she remembered herself long enough to snatch her phone up and take a quick picture. She smiled lightly, seeing the emerald irises staring up at her from the screen. It wasn't as mesmerizing, but it would do.

The bird gave another quiet _caw _before taking flight, towards a section of the park with a thick forest. She watched as it disappeared into the leaves and branches, smiling to herself. She hopped down from her perch on the picnic table's top and headed home, already feeling the pencil In her hand, sketching perfect green eyes on a perfect beaked face.

…

It was late, and her brother and sister were tucked tightly in their beds. She had to them the story of Goldie Locks and The Three Bears three times before they would finally calm down with their glasses of water and sleep. She had smiled wistfully and kissed them on the foreheads, remembering when her mother and father had done the same for her, before retiring to her studio.

Clad in sweatpants and a too-small tank top, the seventeen-year-old tied her hair into a messy tail and sat down in her studio, planning to add another picture to her walls, which were covered in her sketches of wild life and places she wanted to visit. Colored and regular pencils were strewn about her desk, but she knew where each of them was precisely when she needed them. She propped her phone against the wall that her desk was pushed up against, and stared at it for a bit. She would start with the eyes.

She was absolutely captivated, and she barely knew what she was doing the whole time she drew; always staring at the deep green eyes. She hadn't meant to do it all in one night. She rarely had the time or the energy to draw anything that way. She was such a perfectionist it usually took a week at most to finish one project, and even then she wasn't completely satisfied with it. Before she knew it she was staring at a glowing phone that read 3:04 AM. Sighing, she set the phone down to study her work. What she laid her eyes on made her gasp sharply. It wasn't a bird she had drawn, but a boy. A very _attractive _boy. His hair was the color of flames, or leaves in autumn. His frame tall and slender, posed in a casual stance; one leg kicked over another with his long, slightly muscled arms folded behind his head. His features were sharp and inhumanly beautiful, his lips twisted upward in an amused grin that seemed almost friendly. His eyes caught her off guard. They were the bird's eyes. The exact same emerald color, the exact same shape. The exact same shimmer of liveliness that she couldn't even begin to comprehend. She stood up from her chair, distancing herself from the picture of the mysterious boy. He was different, she noticed. His ears were slightly pointed, poking out ever so slightly from his bright shaggy hair. Without looking back, the girl made her way out of her studio and headed to bed, wanting to forget the incident, but not knowing why. The whole thing felt kind of foreboding somehow.

…

Months passed and she did not see the bird again. One day she was walking home from the grocery store, one hand carrying a plastic bag full of fruit from the farmer's market, the other rapidly texting on her phone, telling her mom that she'd be home in a few minutes, when she stopped just across the street from the park.

Once her favorite place to go, the teenager-almost adult-had not been back to the park since that night she had tried to draw her bird. She hadn't picked up a pencil since either. Her converse stalled almost on their own, and she looked up from her phone. It was a school day (she took online classes.), so most everyone that went to that park was at work or school. But still, she had never seen it so completely _empty_. Before she knew what she was doing, she was at the gates that decorated the entrance. The wind blew insistently, but her ponytail prevented any hair mishaps. She pulled the sleeves of her green hoodie over her palms nervously, holding the grocery bag with the crook of her elbow and hugging her arms to her chest. Her ripped jeans swept the ground behind her heels as she took a cautious step forward.

She felt a pull in her chest, as if some force was calling her to move forward; so she did. Gaining courage she sped up to a hurried walk. Here blue eyes swept over the grass, looking for anything and everything. Until they found it. Fiery hair and a tall, graceful frame posed in a casual stance, one foot tossed haphazardly over the other and arms folded behind his head. He didn't have to turn around for her to know it was him. The boy she drew. Her bird. She could no longer think of one without thinking of the other.

Part of her wanted to turn around, run and pretend she hadn't seen him, hadn't _drawn _him. This all was just too weird for an ordinary girl like her. But her lips moved before she could, "I'm Ally."

At the sound of her voice, the boy turned. And that's when everything started.

**Boom. Bam. Woosh. Zoom. There it is, your first story in forever from yours truly. Again I apologize for my account dying for a time, and I'll try to do more, but I can't promise anything. I love you all and thank you for favoriting anything I've written. And if you haven't, thank you for reading anyway. Review, everyone! I appreciate the feedback. Also, tell me if you think this oneshot is going anywhere, because maybe I'll add to ittt~! Love ya! **


	2. The Boy With The Green Eyes

**Okey~! I got requests for more on this story, so it looks like I **_**will**_** be working on longer fics right away. Sorry, darlings, but you'll just have to wait a little longer than expected for the other two. Besides, I kinda like this one. I'll let the cogs turn in my head for a while to see where this is going. For now, here is the second chapter. I don't own anything except for my OC's sadly.**

**The Boy With The Green Eyes**

The grin was a white one, gleaming in the sunlight. His eyes were crinkled at the corners in his smile. "Ah. Was I that obvious?"

Ally smiled slightly. At least now she knew she wasn't crazy. "Lucky guess." She paused a minute, taking him in. She wasn't entirely sure _how _he was her bird; all she knew was that he was. There was no way to prove it, and she probably wouldn't have believed it in any other circumstances, but at that moment something just told her to go with it. To believe.

He never stopped grinning; no matter how long she stared, trying to figure him out. It seemed as if nothing could faze him, "I'm Robin."

Ally bit her lip and furrowed her brows, a thoughtful look plastered on her features, "Odd name for a raven isn't it?" tilting her head, she added, "Or is it a crow?"

His laugh was like music to Ally, and she found herself smiling along with him, "A raven. I guess you could look at it that way."

She crossed her arms as she watched him, still chuckling at her point, and she noticed his ears again. She had completely forgotten about them ever since she had put the drawing away. "What…what exactly are you, Robin? You can transform into a raven, and that is definitely not normal, but now you look much more…human."

Regardless of her blunt question, Robin's smile never faltered, "Are you sure you wanna know? I'd have no problem telling you, as you've always been pretty sensitive to my kind's existence, but once you know there's no turning back. Too much knowledge can be dangerous, you know." His smile had transformed into a mysterious smirk, his green eyes shining with a hidden identity that Ally longed to uncover.

But his words sent a foreboding feeling through her nerves._ My kind's existence, _He had said. A tingle ran down her back and the wind seemed to whisper secrets through the trees. Secrets of a dangerous being that stood in front of her, hands jammed in the pockets of his brown pants, which were tucked into knee-high brown leather boots, laced tight around his legs. A white button-up shirt adorned his chest, buttoned at his elbows as well, and over it was a brown leather vest that was laced up the middle. Unusual clothes from a place Ally had never been, and it pulled her in even more. She finally nodded, breathing deep, "Yeah…I guess I do want to know."

He nodded to the picnic table that Ally had sat on so many times before. They made their way to it, and Ally plopped down onto the table top, setting her bag of fruit on the bench beside her as she let her legs hang off the edge, swinging idly. Instead of sitting beside her, as she had left enough room for him to do so, he braced himself against the tree that she had first seen him in, grabbing onto a fork in the branches, and pulled himself up to sit on another branch in a way that strained his muscles. All Ally could do was stare. "Well, where should I start?" He seemed to think about it for a bit, resting his legs on the branch he sat on and reclining against the trunk. He crossed his arms behind his head and smirked at her, "Have you ever read A Midsummer Night's dream?"

She cocked her head to the side, confused. "Yeah, back in eighth grade, before I started taking online classes. What does that have to do with anything?"

Robin chuckled from his place up in the tree, "Oh, it has _everything _to do with _me, _actually." He pulled out an apple from his pocket, which kind of surprised Ally, and bit into it. "Are you familiar with a certain faerie jester?" When she nodded his smirk grew into a particularly mischievous grin and he lifted his chin a bit.

Ally was silent for a moment, studying him intently to figure out what he meant. She heard him laugh when her jaw dropped so far down it might as well have landed in the dirt. "Oh, hell." She muttered trying to contemplate the impossibility that sat in front of her laughing like a child.

"I always enjoy the reactions." He wiped his eyes a bit before grinning at her. "You can call me Puck, by the way."

"That isn't even possible. It's a _book._ Well, a play, but _still!_" Ally argued.

"True. But, you say it isn't possible and I sit before you now. What a predicament." Ally opened her mouth to reply with something snarky, but finding nothing to say, just shut it again and sat there pouting up at him.

"So…who else should I know about, then?" She asked finally, "You can't be the only one that exists."

He laughed at her, "Oh there are tons of faeries. Oberon and Titania are real, of course. So is Mab, royal stick up her ass, and all."

Ally sucked in a breath, "So, what? All the stories are true, or something?"

Puck shrugged, "Well, in a sense. The Never never and all of the faeries in it come from old lore. We were born from the stories humans made up. Some come from dreams and others spawn from your worst nightmares."

Ally pulled her knees up so she could rest her chin on them, "But I thought fairies were really small with wings, and stuff like that."

Puck rolled his eyes, "Those are piskies. They _are _fey, but that doesn't mean that all of the fey are like them." He slid down from his perch gracefully and leaned back against the tree, "Mostly, we're built like humans, except for a few obvious variations." He motioned to his ears, "Other than that we're _way _better."

Ally frowned, "Hey! Better how…?"

He smirked at her indignation, "Well we can use glamour, for one." At her look of confusion, he went on, "It's magic drawn from human imagination. There are two major types, summer and winter. I, of course, use summer." He kneeled down in the grass, and in front of Ally's very eyes, held out a hand, where soon a flower bloomed, bright with color and life. "It's why I was so drawn to you in the first place, you know. You have more imagination than most humans, especially now that there's all this technology." He grimaced. "Usually that happens with artists or writers or composers. Children are usually the best, because they're so young and naïve. Also why you'll see them talking to 'imaginary' friends all the time."

"I see…" Ally mumbled thoughtfully. She seemed to remember numerous occasions where she would catch her little brother and sister talking to seemingly no one. Could they have been seeing someone that she couldn't?

"You're one of the few humans that can see us for what we truly are though. You have the Sight. Have for a while now. It's in its early stages, but it's there." He grinned again, "Also a reason I found you."

"So my…imagination makes you stronger?" She asked. She hoped she was understanding this all, but it was a lot to soak in.

He nodded, "Pretty much."

"Wow." Was all she could manage. "Well, why aren't you in the Never never?" She asked him, "You like it there don't you?"

Puck laughed nervously and scratched the back of his head, "Well…let's just say Oberon isn't too happy with me, as of late. Best to stay out of his way till he cools down."

Ally grinned at him, "Wouldn't be Robin Goodfellow unless you were pissing someone off, I suppose." He gave her a proud smirk and cocked his head to the left a bit. "I better get home, though. It's getting late and _someone _needs to feed my brother and sister."

For a moment, Puck looked a little disappointed, but nodded and flashed a lopsided smile, "You should come to the park more often, ya know? Startin' to miss you."

She laughed and nodded, "Maybe tomorrow." They said their goodbyes and Ally headed home in the near dark, feeling a sudden burst of happiness flow through her. A smile slowly curled at her lips and she broke into a run for the rest of the way.

…

For many months afterword Ally spent most of her time at the park, finding any excuse to go. She took trips with her little siblings, took her laptop with her classes on it with her, or just went late at night when everyone else was asleep. No matter what, he was always there, and they would talk for hours before Ally finally had to go home.

One day Puck showed interest in going to _her _home.

She smirked at him and bit into a candy bar she had gotten from a nearby gas station, "Why would you wanna go there? It's a small apartment with a druggie mom in it almost 24/7 and little kids running around non-stop. You'll probably get a headache within the first ten minutes of being in there."

He grinned and pulled lightly at one of the two braids in her hair, "I want to see your studio. It seems interesting, and I want to see some of your work. You never bring anything to show me." He pouted while he said the last statement, looking the part of the little kid he acted like all the time.

She rolled her eyes as she chewed another bite of her chocolate, "They're not even that good." She argued with a smile, turning her head quickly to yank the braid out of his grasp.

"Oh boo hoo hoo. I don't care, I wanna see." He nudged her playfully. "What're you so afraid of?"

She scowled at him, "I'm not _afraid _of anything. Haven't you ever considered that I just don't want anyone to see. That they're _private?_"

He looked thoughtful for a minute, before grinning mischievously, "The though crossed my mind, yes. But if no one told you, let me inform you that I am Robin Goodfellow."

Ally blew bangs out of her face and stuck out her bottom lip slightly, "You have a point." He laughed loudly at her frustration. As he was laughing, something caught Ally's eye. A dark shape off in the distance, within the thicker part of woods in the park. It looked vaguely human, but she couldn't see well, as it was nearing dusk, and it just looked like a blob of shadows. "Did you see that?"

Puck gave her an odd look, "See what, Al?" She pointed to the woods, but the figure was already receding, and was gone by the time he turned his head. "Hm, trees. Fascinating, aren't they?" He turned on her with eyebrows raised and a smirk present on his lips.

She whacked his arm, "Oh shut up. You missed it," She couldn't quite write off the feeling of dread that was rising in her stomach like a black mist. "Fine, let's go. I'll show you my studio, but just this once." She jumped off the wooden table and brushed herself off before looking back at him over her shoulder, "Please, no flash photography."

He snorted, "Oh, you're hilarious." He shook his head at her and grinned, "Please. Fey, remember?"

She just grinned and motioned for him to follow as she began to walk, "Hurry up."

…

Ally turned the key to her home slowly, jimmying it slightly. They really needed to call a locksmith. As soon as the door opened, two little blurs flew passed Ally and wrapped their little arms around each of Puck's legs. Ally's little siblings, Gretchen and Rory, had obviously noticed an extra presence.

He laughed, "Hey there. That was…really fast."

"Annie told us you were coming!" They said in unison. Annie being their "imaginary" friend who turned out to be a piskie. After a while of hanging out with Puck she could see the small creature clearly now.

"Ah, that would explain a lot." He replied. Ally smirked as he followed her into the apartment with the kids riding his feet.

After a little time with the kids, Puck looked at Ally expectantly. She sighed, "Alright, c'mon." They made their way down the hall connected to the small kitchen. Ally eased the door open and led him into the dim room, sliding the dial on the wall to brighten the lights slightly. She had always worked better in dim lighting.

Puck looked around at the pictures plastered on the wall, smiling a bit at the pictures of small animals and large landscapes. He seemed utterly calm here. "Wow. This room is absolutely full of glamour."

Ally raised her eyebrows, "Really?" she crossed her arms self-consciously, "I didn't know that."

He smirked, "Well, you're human."

She thought for a moment and then agreed, deciding it made perfect sense. She settled for straightening things out while he looked around. That is, until she heard a suspicious snort and turned around to see him holding up the picture she had drawn the night she had tried to draw him in bird form. Her cheeks heated up like a furnace and she covered her mouth with a hand, squeaking like a mouse. "I thought I put that away."

He raised one of his eyebrows and gave her a smug grin. "Well…I must say I'm a little flattered." He teased.

She sputtered, "I was tired and I…I-I didn't know what I was doing! I-I just-"

He held up a hand, "No need, no need. I agree; my beauty is rare and worth preserving."

Ally rolled her eyes and turned her head away, trying to save herself from any more embarrassment. "Oh shut up." He only laughed and continued leafing through her pictures.

"You know you're really good, right?" He looked at her from the corner of his eye, head still tilted down toward the desk.

She slowly turned her head back, though the blush hadn't completely left her cheeks, "Thanks…I guess." She murmured, eyes scanning the floor. He only chuckled and set her drawings down.

"Shall we go?" He asked, motioning to the door. She smiled and nodded. She shut the door behind them after they exited the studio, and Ally led him to the kitchen, searching for something to make the kids in the cupboards. She pulled out a box of Scooby-doo macaroni and started boiling some water. Waiting for water to bubble proved to bore Goodfellow, and in turn he proceeded to pick on Annie the piskie while they waited, despite the small winged creature's indignant cries. Ally looked on in mild amusement until the water was ready, and she continued the ridiculously long task of making mac and cheese. (She would be the first to admit she wasn't the _best _cook in the world.) While the two children sat down to eat, Puck somehow persuaded Ally out of the apartment again, to go find something for _them _to eat. His disgusted look directed towards the pot of steaming cheesy noodles amused Ally, but she agreed and told her brother and sister that as long as they behaved they could stay up late _this_ once. She hugged them both goodbye and then Goodfellow practically dragged her out the door.

…

30 minutes later found Ally and Puck sitting back at the park with muffins and coffees from the local coffee shop. Ally was busy picking out the blueberries and setting them on the wrapper to eat separately while she listened to one of Pucks stories. This one was about a time when he had managed to piss off a whole cave full of things called Harpies. She listened with interest until she caught sight of something in her peripheral vision. It was the blob again. Somewhere between shadows and just pure darkness. It seemed to notice her watching, and sunk back into the trees once again. Ally blinked a few times, wondering if maybe she should get her eyes checked.

When she turned her head back to Puck, he was looking at her quizzically, seeming slightly amused by her short attention span. "You know…you're lucky I like talking so much." She gave an embarrassed grin.

"Sorry, sorry," She replied with a shrug, "Keep going. Tell another one." He smirked at her enthusiasm, but soon launched into another story of a particularly exciting game of Stay on the Kelpie. She laughed often and stayed engrossed in the story, but she couldn't quite shake the sinking feeling that something bad was coming. It was like a cinderblock resting at the bottom of her stomach, trying to squeeze through her intestines. She also couldn't really ignore the sensation of eyes locked intently on the back of her neck. The tiny hairs on her arms and neck stood straight up. After a while, Puck brought to her attention that it was almost 12:00 AM, and that she better get going to put her siblings to bed. She agreed and cleaned up after herself, waving goodbye and politely denying his offer to walk her home.

Ally walked home slowly, hugging herself inside her Celtics sweatshirt, cautiously sweeping her vision from side to side. Several times she saw the dark shape, but never directly, and always far enough away that she questioned whether it was really there or not. She had sped up on numerous occasions and was getting pretty freaked out. It was a giant relief to her when she arrived in front of her door unscathed. She entered without looking back and quickly locked the door.

Gretchen and Rory were both in the living room, snoring away in front of late night cartoons. Ally smiled and walked over to turn off the screen. One at a time, she carried them back to their rooms and tucked them into their beds. She snuck silently out of the room and closed the door behind her carefully. She sighed and made her way to her bedroom, across from her studio, and changed into a pair of gray baggy sweatpants and a black cami, rolled up a little. She slid her feet into a pair of uggs and padded out to the kitchen to clean up what Gretchen and Rory had missed. She hummed to herself as she scrubbed dried cheese off of the table and plates and stuck the glasses and silverware into the dishwasher. When she was done she wiped her forehead and tied her hair up into a bun before heading to her studio to clean up in there, too.

She noticed the temperature change as soon as she stepped foot in the room. The AC was broken, but it was cold enough to raise goose bumps on all of her exposed skin. She shivered and decided to leave the door open, hoping the heat would seep in from the hall. She spent about an hour sorting out drawings and drawing supplies before she found herself dozing in her chair. She self-consciously wiped drool from the corner of her mouth and turned to leave. But…the door was closed. She paused and furrowed her brows, pouting thoughtfully. Had she shut it? She couldn't remember. It was like a veil of mist was shrouding the memory. She took a step toward the door when something moved in her peripheral vision.

"So…this is the _human _Goodfellow's so fond of." A cold voice sneered from the corner of the small studio Ally turned with a gasp jumping back against the wall. The boy standing in the corner was amazingly beautiful. He had long, shaggy black hair that emphasized his sharp, snow-pale features. His eyes were a steely grey that pierced right through her. He was tall and lean, with just the right amount of muscle. He wore dark jeans with leather boots, a dark stylish trench coat over a grey deep-v t-shirt. Ally was as awe-struck as she was terrified. She noticed the long, sleek ears poking from the sides of his head. "What a joke. I knew he was getting soft, but really." He gave a cold bark of laughter.

Ally inched towards the door. She was slow and cautious, trying her hardest not to alert him to her movement. "You have no business here. Leave." She tried to be firm, forceful, but her voice shook like an earthquake.

He chuckled darkly, shaking his head slightly. Ice formed around the door's frame, rendering it useless. Ally desperately wished she had her phone with her. Iron did no good when it was lying on your nightstand. "I _have_ business here. You're coming with me." He held out his hand and Ally screamed, or tried to as ice crawled slowly over her mouth. He grinned as she fell to her knees and black dots clouded her vision. She felt a cold jolt at her wrist, which were being yanked together, and then she sank into oblivion.

**Bang! Okay so there's the next chapter, all wrapped up in a nice bow for you guys. X3 I hope you all like this one as much as you seemed to like the first one. I had fun writing this one. All though I stayed up all night I think it was worth it. I hope you guys enjoy. Thanks so much for reading.**


	3. When You Travel Where You Don't Belong

**Figured I'd just start right up on the third addition to this story. First off, though, I have some people I wanna thank, because your reviews and comments have motivated me to write even more. I started off thinking this would be a one shot, but thanks to you guys I continued on with it and now I have some big ideas written down for it. So, special thank you's to Truth Be Told I'm Lying, who was my first ever review. AngelWeasleyxxx, Queen of Air and Darkness, you are awesome and thank you for reading. Naynay1130 I'm really glad you like it. You're all amazing writers and it is an absolute honor to have you reading this. I should probably point out that despite my love of animals I am **_**not **_**actually Julie Kagawa, which also means I cannot possibly own this series or its characters.**

**When You Travel Where You Don't Belong**

Ally came to in an icy cell. One look around showed the bars were made of pure, clear ice, and the walls were covered in the whitest snow she had ever seen. It was both beautiful and terrifying. She could see her breath coming out in frantic clouds every time she exhaled, which in this case was often. For a terrifying moment Ally couldn't remember why she was there. Then it all came back to her at once, hitting her with all the mercy of a freight train. The darkly handsome fey boy, her captor. The ice sealing her only escape and covering her mouth. She was alone. No one knew where she was, and she would likely die in the frigid temperature. Before she could stop it, a small sob escaped her throat, making her sound much like a caged animal.

"Well, Ash, it would seem you have thought of everything. This is the girl Goodfellow is so attached to, then?" Ally's head shot up and her eyes met ice blue ones, narrow in amusement. He was an older looking boy, standing next to the one who had captured her, who must have been Ash. He was also very attractive, an older version of Ash himself. His hair was spiky and so black that it almost looked blue in the small amount of light that shined through the small barred window in Ally's cell, too small for her to even think about climbing out and too high for her to reach anyway. His thin lips were twisted into a sadistic smile.

"Yes," Ash replied, "I left a distinctive clue for him to find. He'll know exactly who took her. And if I know Goodfellow, he'll be right on his way as soon as he realizes it was me. And on his way to her, he'll run himself right onto my blade." The older one chuckled to himself, obviously enjoying this.

"You sick _bastards_!" Ally spat venom with her words, "What the hell do you want with Puck?!"

The older brother chuckled darkly, ignoring the question "Why don't we let the redcaps at her? Goodfellow wouldn't know he was too late till he got here." He gave Ally a suggestive wink, "Or you could let me at her. I'm sure we'd have loads of fun." Ally shuddered at the thought of what he'd do.

"Enough, Rowan!" Ash barked, "You won't touch her." For a minute Ally felt relieved, but then she remembered where she was, and her stomach dropped even lower when she heard the next thing he said. "I want him to watch as I cut her throat out slowly and painfully. I want him to beg me to leave her as I cut her tongue from her mouth. I want to watch him suffer as he hears her screams."

It was all she could do to keep from breaking down right there and having a full on panic attack. "Please…let me go. I didn't do anything!" She was shivering violently, and her voice shook with her tremors, both from cold and sobs. Her hands were completely numb. She was terrified. She just wanted to go home. She wanted to see Gretchen and Rory again, and even her mother, who she'd never been all that close to in the first place. She wanted to hold them tight and never let them go again. She would never take them for granted. "J-just…l-let me go h-home."

Rowan just laughed, enjoying her torment, "No can do, hot stuff." He replied gleefully, "There's a blanket in the corner that'll, at the very least, keep you from losing any limbs. There's a bucket there, too, if you need to…relieve yourself. Some redcaps will bring you some food at reasonable times. Try not to lose any fingers. C'mon, don't look so miserable; it'll be like staying in a hotel." With that, Ash and Rowan turned on their heels and walked out with the grace of royalty. Finally alone, Ally crawled to the corner, wrapped herself in the blanket (Which was extremely dingy and scratchy.), and sobbed into her hands.

…

Robin Goodfellow was extremely worried, a feeling rarely felt by the Great Trickster. Al hadn't come to see him for a week. He wondered if he'd done something to make her angry, though he couldn't think of anything. Had she gotten tired of him? He sincerely hoped not. They'd been friends for a while now, and he'd grown close to her. He really didn't mind the company, and was honestly getting quite used to it. He was currently sitting in their usual spot on the picnic bench by the tree, watching birds circle the park with nowhere to go. He still expected her to come running like she always did, apologizing for tardiness. As he watched the flying creatures form dizzy patterns in the sky, he made up his mind. He would go check on her. He jumped down from the table top and brushed himself off before adopting his raven form and flying in the direction of Ally's apartment.

…

Ally had no clue how long she had been in that cell. She had no way to tell the time and was going on how many times the sun had forfeited its reign to the moon. It seemed wrong. She didn't know what it was, but something told her she had been there longer than she suspected. She was left mostly to her own devices, only occasionally receiving unpleasant visits from a _very _flirtatious Rowan, and bloodthirsty little sharp-toothed monsters with red hats which must have been the redcaps. She already had multiple bite marks and scratches all over her arms and torso from the evil little things that Rowan and Ash decided to let loose in her cell for fun. They never let it go too far, always forcing them out before she was critically injured, but she was still in a ton of pain. No matter what she went through, though, she absolutely refused to let them see her cry. Faeries were cruel creatures, and she didn't need to give them another thing to torment her about. She could almost physically _feel _her sanity fraying at the edges, and she knew that her time in the Nevernever was starting to take its toll. She curled in on herself in the corner of her cell, rubbing at her bare arms under the blanket. Her teeth chattered non-stop to the point where she was afraid she would bite her own tongue off.

…

He stood outside the apartment door. The numbers 347 glinted in the dim light, and he could see himself in them as he stood there awkwardly, wondering to himself if he should really be there. Usually this wouldn't bother him. He was Robin freakin' Goodfellow, for Christ's sake, when did he give a rat's ass where he _should _be. But everything about Alyssa Marie Bane had proved to be surprisingly unique thus far. He took a few minutes to compose himself before cursing the nervousness gnawing at his stomach and knocking. The door swung open mid-knock and he almost pissed himself. A wide-eyed Rory stared up at a wide-eyed Puck. Gretchen came running up from the living room, Annie the piskie lounging on her shoulder.

"Is that him, Rory?" She called, sounding frantic, which only worried Puck more.

"Yeah, it's him." Her brother confirmed, his eyes never leaving the faerie ginger.

"Ah…is Ally around?" He was a bit startled by the intent gaze the usually playful little boy was giving him.

Gretchen sniffled and gazed up at him with watery eyes. She shook her head, "We haven't seen her for a long time. We told mommy but she only says that she'll probably be back soon and calls for pizza."

Puck was on the verge of grey hairs at this point. So Ally hadn't just been ignoring him. She was _gone_. He crouched down to the kids' level, balancing himself on the balls of his feet, smiling reassuringly, "Can I come in? Maybe I can find out where your sister went if I look around a bit." They both nodded furiously and stepped aside for him to come in. As soon as he stepped inside he could tell something was amiss, and he furrowed his brow, searching the place with his eyes.

"Maybe you'll find something in her studio. She usually goes there before she goes to bed, and before bedtime was the last time we saw her." Rory pointed down the hallway. Puck nodded and ran fingers through his hair before heading down to Ally's studio. He felt weird going in without her, like he was invading her privacy. He shook himself and stepped over the threshold, telling Gretchen and Rory to wait outside. He was instantly hit by a cold breeze, and he shuddered with discomfort. It didn't take long to find the only clue he needed.

The icicle, same as the ones he was so used to seeing hurtling towards his face, was stabbed viciously into the wall. The only thing between the deadly spike and the wall was a sketch. The sketch of himself. The one Ally had drawn who knows when. The icicle was pierced right through Paper Puck's heart. The sound that came from Robin Goodfellow next was one he had never made before, sounding much like the warning hiss of a snake, sliding through clenched teeth to form one name, "_Ash._"

…

Ally hugged her knees to her body, burying her face in the fabric of her sweatpants, and thought of her family. She had missed them in ways she hadn't even known to be possible during her time in that frozen-over cell. Sure their family was a broken one, but it was a family nonetheless. Gretchen and Rory always knew how to keep her smiling, with their silly antics and dumb jokes they learned at school. Sometimes, on the rare occasions that their mother was sober, they would all go have a picnic for the whole day at the park. Maybe that was why Ally had come to love the place so much; it was the one place that made it feel like their family didn't seem so dysfunctional. It made everything seem normal, and she was just a teenager with her two younger siblings and a mother who actually acted like a mother. But she knew that, dysfunctional or not, she would take her small family over this frozen hell, unable to see any of the familiar faces she was so used to. She found her mind wandering farther, then. To a boy with fiery red hair and a huge ever-present smile. She hadn't known him for long, but she knew that Puck was and probably always would be the closest friend she had. Ever since she met him she'd had something to look forward to every day. He had become a constant in her life, something she could count on. She wondered what he would think of her absence. Had he noticed yet? Would he look for her? Or would he know that this was a trap, and leave her there to die slowly? She didn't want to think he would, almost felt guilty for even considering it, but then, she really didn't know him all that well in the first place. Maybe now she never would. The thought terrified her. She could really _die _here. This could be it. These could be her final thoughts, her final breaths. This could be where everything ended.

…

After calming the kids down, reassuring them that he would bring their sister back, Puck had found an easy doorway into the Nevernever. Right in the back of the closet in Gretchen and Rory's room was just the portal he needed. It wasn't far from Tir Na Nog either. The picture had been all the formal battle invitation he had needed. There was no doubt in Puck's mind that Ash had taken Ally, and there was also no doubt in his mind that he would get her back, come hell or high water. If she was hurt it would be on his head, and he didn't think he could take being the cause of another girl's death. With a forced cheerful goodbye to the kids, he stepped through the door. In one blink he was standing in a grassy clearing surrounded by healthy green trees. He smiled lightly for a second, breathing in the familiar air. _Home. _He thought as a warm feeling spread through him. But the happiness was short-lived. He knew what he had to do. Without a second thought he transformed into a giant black raven, _cawed _loudly, and took off towards the territory of Queen Mab.

…

If you asked Ally how long she had been sitting that way, she wouldn't have been able to tell you. She was aware that she had dozed off at one point, her sleep blissfully dreamless, and in that time the sun had sunk below her window, casting the cell in shadow. This was her least favorite time. This was the time when she couldn't see clearly, and the disorientation was unnerving. In the winter court, the dark was never your friend. As if on cue, the door to her cell creaked open, and Ally was hesitant to lift her head, not wanting to face whatever had come to torture her further.

"Well aren't we looking just vulnerable this evening." Rowan's taunting voice called arrogantly. She could hear the smirk in his voice, and her heart picked up, as if beating faster would save her from him. Fingers fisted her hair at the back of her head and yanked, forcing her face from its shelter. "You should know by now that ignoring me will only make this worse." He whispered uncomfortably close to her ear.

"I didn't know worse was possible for you," Ally spat, "you're already pretty awful. I can see why you have to force girls into it."

He only chuckled, hands traveling slowly down her face, then her neck. Shoulders. Arms. Hips. Legs. "I like a girl with spirit. Maybe I can get Ash to let up a little so I can keep you for myself when Goodfellow's dead and gone. Wouldn't want _terribly _damaged goods. Just enough so you can't get away." His lips trailed down her throat as he murmured so low she almost didn't hear. He nipped lightly at the base, traveling back up as she swallowed hard. It was hard to keep her composure when an insanely gorgeous boy-cruel fey or not-was biting at her sensitive skin.

"Get the hell off me, you slimy creep." She grimaced, cursing her hormones to hell. He just grinned against her skin and slipped cold fingers under the hem of her tank top. She gasped and reflexively arched into him, but quickly regained composure and shoved at his shoulders. He obviously wasn't expecting it, and he stumbled back onto his rear end. Ally scrambled away from the angry fey boy, but she wasn't fast enough. He grabbed her ankle and pulled her back, causing her chin to hit the icy floor hard. A coppery taste filled her mouth as he pinned her down, and she spat red-tinted spittle into his face, bringing her knee up into his unprotected crotch. He cried out in pain and fell to the ground beside her. She stumbled to her feet and slid as far away from him as she could. Her eyes found the half-open cell door, and she started towards it before she heard a predatory growl from Rowan.

"You little _bitch._" He snarled, pulling his sword and pinning her to the nearest wall. He pressed the sharp tip under her ribs, letting it slide into skin slowly. Ally let out a short scream as blood trickled down her stomach, spattering the floor as it dripped from the icy blade. "Doesn't feel too good, does it?" Rowan smirked evilly. She ignored him and bit down another scream as he slid the blade into her skin a fraction of an inch more. Tears pressed against the backs of her eyes but she refused to let them fall.

"Oh dear. This won't do." A new voice floated in from behind Rowan. He spun, dropping Ally to the ground and letting her crumple and fold in on herself, holding her wounded side. She looked up just enough to see familiar brown boots kicked over each other casually. "You see, I was pretty pissed when I found out you two kidnapped my girl, there." Puck continued, and Ally lifted her head more to see the dangerous smirk plastered onto his face, "So imagine my anger when I see Ice-boy number two jamming a blade into her ribs. I do believe that I'll need some way to vent my anger." He twirled a dagger in each hand, still leaning against the cold bars of the cell door.

"Heh, Goodfellow. I was starting to wonder if you would make it. Ash was confident that you were too..._attached _to this human to let us take her and go unpunished, but I was starting to wonder." Rowan slid gracefully into a battle stance, ready to attack, "I guess you really _are _as pathetically sentimental as they say." Without warning, he lunged, swinging his blade in a wide arc meant to disembowel, but Puck was already spinning far out of reach. Without hesitating Rowan spun towards him again, going for a low blow to the knees, but Puck leaped into the air and swiped down with a dagger. Rowan slid to the side just in time and jammed his blade into Puck's middle, the point exploding out of his back. Ally screamed out for him just before the Puck on the blade burst into little pieces of torn leaves and broken twigs. Out of the shadows, another Puck emerged with a predatory gleam in his eyes, a smug grin gracing his lips as he watched Rowan look on in confusion. As black dots started to show up in Ally's peripheral vision, two more Pucks slid out of the shadows in front of Rowan, and soon he was locked in combat with three Robin Goodfellows.

Ally was beginning to wonder if this wasn't a mix of blood loss and pure insanity that was making her see this, and she wasn't sure how _anyone _could handle three Pucks like Rowan was at that moment. She was absolutely sure that one was more than enough. As she watched the ensuing battle anxiously, clinging to the last threads of consciousness, she became suddenly aware of someone trying to get her attention. "_Psst!_ Come on Al, I know you're tired but this is no time to ignore me." She followed the sound of his voice with her eyes to find yet another Goodfellow right outside the cell's only window. _Four fucking gingers. _She groaned mentally, _it is too late for this shit. _"It's about time. And here I thought we'd be here all night. I'm gonna need you to get up now." She did as she was told, albeit slowly and with some difficulty. "Good. Now head over here. We need to get out of here before he realizes those aren't actually me." 

She slid over the floor with about as much grace as a man on stilts that were on roller blades. She braced herself against the wall and looked up at him, "How the hell does this work, Puck?" She asked incredulously, "In case you haven't yet realized, let me clarify the situation. We are both on opposite sides…_of a barred window!" _

Puck rolled his eyes and reached his hands through the bars, "Obviously no one's told you that I happen to be Robin Goodfellow." He wiggled the fingers on his outstretched hand, and after staring at it with a raised eyebrow and a disbelieving frown, she took it. "Good job," He teased, "now close your eyes and don't open them till I say you can." After making a show of rolling her eyes at him, she did just that, and immediately he started pulling. To this, she responded by feeling the wall for hand-holds and trying to scale it, with his help. At the point where she expected to ram straight into the bars, she felt an almost uncomfortable amount of pressure pressing into her from all around. After a few heartbeats, the pressure lifted, and Puck instructed her to open her eyes. She was free. Although the cold out here was much nastier than in the cell, she was happy to be out.

An indignant cry from behind was all Puck needed to grab onto her hand once again and bolt off with an energy only he could possess away from the huge castle she had been kept in for so long. It didn't take long for the enemy to start pursuing, nor did it take long for the pain in Ally's side to become almost unbearable. She stumbled more than a few times, and when they started nearing the forest, her legs gave out underneath her and the black dots returned. Puck cried out and came to a sudden halt, hurrying over to her. "It hurts." She groaned, and that was all it took for him to scoop her up into his arms and continue the getaway. Strangely enough, she didn't seem to slow him down, and just thinking about all the energy he had made her tired enough for the both of them. Blood was starting to soak through her black PJ tank top, and her hand came away from holding her side stained red. The black dots were becoming overwhelming, and she turned her head into the faerie boy's chest, squeezing her eyes shut and listening to the loud thudding of his heart. It was only a matter of time before the darkness pulled her in, and the frosty arrows being shot at them didn't seem so real anymore.

…

_It was dark. Too dark to see anything. Ally couldn't see her fingers in front of her face. It felt like a living thing, as touchable as another person, pressing in on her from all sides and angles. It was almost too difficult to breathe. Out of nowhere came a raspy chuckle, dry and cruel. She squinted, trying to penetrate the darkness with her vision to see whoever was there with her. No matter what, it didn't let up, and she remained unable to see. She felt eyes on her; hairs on the back of her neck stood on end. _

"_Who's there?" She called, voice echoing off of nothing but dark._

"_Silly, silly girl." The voice mused._

_She sucked in a deep breath, trying again, "Who are you?"_

"_Such a foolish child." It ignored her._

"_What do you want?!"_

"_You think you know who you really are? You are nothing but a disgrace."_

"_What the _hell_ are you talking about?!"_

"_A part of both worlds, belonging in neither of them. Damned to a lonely existence for all of eternity. Not even allowed to know the truth of what you really are. A mistake made by two foolish lovers of two different realities."_

_Ally was getting angry. Who did they think they were?! This disembodied voice knew nothing of her. Where did it get off talking about her like she wasn't there, listening to every word? "You're not making any sense!"_

"_Poor…foolish…unwanted…girl." The darkness was pressing in more forcefully, teetering on the edge of painful. It kept pressing and pressing, until she opened her mouth to cry out. Without hesitation the darkness flooded her mouth, flowing down her throat. It choked her mercilessly. She couldn't breathe, and she could feel herself falling through the blackness. Her eyes stopped searching, stopped trying to see through the impenetrable black, and she knew nothing else._

…

Ally's eyes shot open and she gasped desperately for air. For one terrifying moment, she couldn't move, and she fisted the sheets she lay on in her clammy palms. She was drenched in sweat, from her head to her toes, the foggy memories of a nightmare grasping at her consciousness, trying to torment her further. Her eyes flickered back and forth, studying her surroundings. She was lying on a cot, a bearskin blanket tossed over her body neatly, and a soft pillow beneath her head. The room she was in was dimmed, but she saw the sun was high in the sky through a hole in the curtains. She tossed the blanket off of her, stopping for a second to marvel at the softness of the fur before sliding her legs off the side of the cot and pushing up into a sitting position.

One look downward showed a startling change of clothes. Her torso was covered only by pure white bandages that acted as a tube top and she suspected also as a dressing for her wound, starting at the tops of her breasts and ending just below her navel. Her bottoms were baggy, low-riding tan cargo pants. Her feet were bare, and she felt bandages wrapped around various places on her legs. Both elbows were wrapped up, and she winced, remembering the burn she had gotten trying to crawl away from Rowan during one of his visits. Some of her fingers had bandages, too. All in all she was not in good shape. She _did _feel much better after that long sleep, however. She slowly remembered just where she was, and her eyes widened. She jumped to her feet and hurried out of the room she had been resting in to look for Puck. The rest of the little cottage-like building was brightly lit, windows letting sun in from almost all angles. She stood still for a moment, blinking furiously to get her eyes used to the brightness.

Laughter floated into what looked like the living room from her right, and she headed in that direction without a moment's hesitation. A large archway led to a kitchen area, where a small woman with greying hair stood on a stool over a black pot, hanging over a fire. Puck sat shirtless at the table, his back to her, as was the woman's. Ally stared for a minute, tracing the muscles of his back and arms with her eyes. She noticed that his shoulder was wrapped up like much of her body was, making it half-way to his elbow. It looked a bit dingy and had a few traces of blood on it, hinting that it needed to be changed soon. The woman tossed what looked like jagged leaves into the pot, and the smell of peppermint filled the room. Ally breathed deep, subconsciously stepping forward.

"How long do you think it'll be till she wakes up?" He questioned, resting his elbows on the table, muscles in his broad shoulders rearranging themselves and making Ally's cheeks heat up.

"Oh it could be a while yet. She seemed exhausted when you brought her to me. Give her time; she'll come to when she is ready. I already confirmed that she will survive, and now all we can do is be patient." She turned to eye him over circular glasses, "But then we both know patience is not your strong suit, eh Goodfellow?"

He snickered, "But I make up for it with stunning good looks, right?" The woman just averted her eyes and went back to stirring her pot, "Your silence is unsettling, Deidre." Ally giggled, making Puck jump and the woman, Deidre, jerk so hard that her glasses fell into the pot.

Ally's eyes widened, "Oh jeez. I'm sorry!"

Deidre reached in tentatively and after a few tries, pulled the glasses out between her index finger and thumb. "Oh that's quite alright." She chuckled, wiping them off on her apron, "Well, this is surprising, I wasn't expecting you to wake for at least a few more mortal days."

Puck's eyes were the size of plates when Ally looked to him, which confused her. She really hadn't meant to scare him so badly, "Puck?" She asked.

He snapped out of the trance he had been in quickly, looking to Deidre with a question in his eyes, "Um…do your herb teas usually do this, Deidre?" He jerked a thumb towards Ally, which made her bristle in response.

"Oh what are you on about no-…oh my." Deidre had slipped her glasses back onto her nose and was now staring with the same shock Puck had exhibited before.

"What's going on?" Ally asked, hugging her arms to herself, feeling suddenly very exposed and vulnerable.

Puck stood and grabbed her arm lightly, leading her to a large mirror back in the living room, nodding to it, "Go ahead. You should see for yourself." His uncharacteristically serious tone was worrying her more than slightly.

She stepped up to study her reflection, and she almost screamed at what she saw. Sharp features that had been so rounded and innocent before. Large crystal blue eyes peering back at her in horror. And the thing that stood out the most; the long, slender pointed ears poking out of her hair. "Oh hell." She whispered, "Oh _holy hell_!" She stepped back a few steps and leaned against a wall for support she so desperately needed at this point.

Puck looked a bit pale, standing with his hands in his pockets. "Well this was slightly unexpected."

**And cue the gasps of awe and amazement. Kidding~! I had a little trouble with this one, but I think I got this now. I feel like I'm a bit late with this update. But losing a hard drive can slow a girl down…so ta-flippin-da. I was up till 6:00 AM with this one, so sorry if it's a little sucky towards the end parts. I apologize~! DX I didn't mean to do it, I was just so tired. But yeah I hope you liked it X3 I'm always glad to entertain. Review with your thoughts on this one~ I'd love to hear them. Because you guys are just so amazing X) I love hearing what you think on everything I do. Also, review with anything you might possibly want to see or tell me anything I did wrong so I can fix it and make this even better. Thankssomuchyouguysloveyoooo u~! X))**


	4. The Burden of False Truth

**Okay are we ready for part 4? Cuz I think we're ready for part 4. You guys have no clue how much I freak out every time I get a review XD. It's crazy, and it makes me so happy to see you guys enjoying this so much. Had a little surprise last chappy X3 now the story should be getting a little better. I've got an outline that I'm working by loosely, but it still might take me a bit to figure out what's going on now, because I need to add to it. So far I like where this is going, so I'll continue, and hopefully it'll keep up the good streak it has going here. So I'll keep writing and you keep the reviews coming, alright? Sounds good. Virtual cookies for the reviewers…or maybe tacos. Either way. In case my name being different didn't tip you off, I'm not Julie, so therefore nothing in the series is mine. Also…I don't own any old stories that these various faeries come from. Just thought I'd toss that in there. X3 Enjoy~! (Thank you's at the end for anyone interested)**

**The Burden of False Truth**

She'd gone to lie down after that. The shock was almost unbearable. How could this happen? She was _human_, plain and simple. Her mother and her father were _human_. Gretchen and Rory were _human_. This wasn't just something you caught, like a cold. You were _born _this way, and Ally was born _human._ None of this made any sense to her, no matter how many times she went over it in her head, lying there on her cot curled up on her side and hugging the pillow to her chest just to have something to hold, like a lifeline.

_You think you know what you really are?_

The question rang in her head, resonating off the walls of her skull and bouncing around in her brain. Did she know what she really was? Suddenly she wasn't so sure.

_You are nothing but a disgrace. A part of both worlds, belonging in neither of them._

What did it mean? Was she really part fey? Was this what the voice in her dream had been talking about? She wanted to grab whoever was speaking and shake them violently, screaming that she was human. Human and nothing more. Just an ordinary, boring human. She would give anything for that to be true. For this to be a cruel trick. Just Puck trying to scare her. Remembering his face, though, told her that this was nothing of the sort. He hadn't been expecting this; no one had been expecting this.

_Poor…foolish…unwanted…girl._

Her eyes stung, and she clutched the pillow tighter, burying her face into it as tears slid down her sharp cheeks. She bit back the sobs that threatened to escape her throat. It would explain why her father had left. She had thought it was just because her mother was never very committed to their already crumbling relationship. She never thought it could be because of her. He had packed his things and left Gretchen and Rory and her mother, and it was all her fault. Her mother had gotten herself addicted to heroin because of her own _daughter_. Ally was suddenly disgusted with herself. She was an abomination. She had single handedly torn her family apart. She just lay there and cry, not answering the tentative knock on her door, not even looking up when it opened anyway, and closed behind whoever had decided to crash her pity party.

"Oh…You _are _taking this pretty hard, aren't you?" Came Puck's uncomfortable voice. She just tightened her grip on the soft plush in her arms and brought her knees closer to her chest, wanting to disappear. "Deidre told me to leave you be…to let you calm down. But…you know me…" Another sob came, but she swallowed it, refusing to let herself be heard. She felt the cot shift under his weight as he sat down next to her, but didn't respond to the closeness in any way. She felt him lean in, hovering just over her exposed pointed ear, "It's not so bad, you know, being one of us. Deidre says you're only half, so living as a human wouldn't be so hard for you. You _have _been doing a pretty good job for seventeen years, you know." Despite herself, she felt a tug at a corner of her mouth. Remembering all she had done, though, she immediately felt guilty, and more tears forced their way out.

Ally heard him sigh after a bit before feeling and insistent tug on her pillow. She tightened her grip, but Puck was stronger, prying her arms from the white cushion and setting it behind her. She squeezed her eyes shut, hating that he was seeing her like this, and felt a thumb wiping her tears away gently, before arms wrapped themselves hesitantly around her midsection and pulled her upright and into a warm chest. She reacted slowly, snaking her thin arms over his shoulders, careful of his injured one, and burrowing her face into the side of his neck, happy to take this substitution to a lifeless pillow. The tears kept coming, and she sniffled quietly, positioning herself comfortably in his lap. He rocked her back and forth gently, resting his chin on her shaking shoulder. She could feel some stray breath blowing against the base of her throat, warm and comforting.

After a while of sitting there like that he started humming, and she suspected that he was unaware that he was doing such a thing. It was a quiet, slow tune, like a perfect lullaby. Surprisingly, he had a nice voice, from what she could tell. She sat and listened, tracing idle patterns on his back with her finger, the tears slowing, now. She could feel his heart thrumming steadily in his chest, the pulse traveling through his throat, along with the tune that vibrated against her forehead, pressed to his skin.

"You're warm." She muttered idly, closing her eyes and breathing deep. He smelled like apples and freshly cut grass.

"I'm summer." He replied with a chuckle. His arms tightened slightly around her waist.

"Okay, smart-ass." She turned her head, resting her forehead against his shoulder before leaning back to face him. "I was just saying."

He laughed and rolled his eyes, "God, your eyes are puffy. Don't look so sad, Angel."

She grimaced in surprise at the sudden nickname, cheeks reddening in embarrassment, "Oh shut up. You're no help. Do the world a favor and never attempt to comfort a girl again." She whacked him on the unwounded shoulder and mimicked him in a very unflattering voice. "'God, your eyes are puffy.'" He sputtered with laughter at that.

"Hey, who's not crying anymore, again? Oh right…" His laughter increased in volume when she hit him again. She went to slide off his lap and onto the floor, but his grip tightened a bit and pulled her back in. They both looked at one another, shocked, and Puck let go quickly, cheeks flaming. They sat there awkwardly for a bit before she finally got up, wondering at the quickening of her pace and the butterflies in her stomach. This was just Puck, after all. They were friends, and she shouldn't have been so abruptly self-conscious around him.

She cleared her throat, scratchy from crying, and looked towards the door, "Well let's go then." Puck agreed silently with a nod and stood, following her to the door and closing it behind him after they exited. Deidre was sitting on an old-looking sofa, and she looked up when she heard them.

"Oh," She said, noticing their uncomfortable expressions, "He didn't bother you did he, dear? I told him not to go barging in on you like that, but he insisted."

"Um…no," Ally looked to Puck, who became very interested in the floor, "He helped. A lot. Um…thanks, Puck."

His eyes widened a fraction, and he looked at her with a surprised smile, "No need to put yourself in my debt there, Angel." He chuckled a bit, "But you're welcome."

She had forgotten for a second what a simple "Thank you" meant in Faery. But she only smiled, "Whatever, I trust you enough." He just grinned back, a bit embarrassed.

Deidre was smiling at them as if she knew something they didn't, and she wiggled her eyebrows at Ally when she met her eyes. Ally blushed, not quite understanding but still plenty nervous, and fiddled with her bandages. "I'd say it's about time to change those, Robin. Come here and sit while I go get fresh wrappings." Puck looked a bit surprised at his grimy bandages as he went to sit. He smirked at Ally and patted a seat next to him, and she obeyed the silent request. They sat only inches apart, and their shoulders would brush when one or the other shifted even slightly. Neither party seemed to notice this fact. Deidre came back a few minutes later, a roll of fresh bandages on one small arm, and gauze in her hand. Ally watched in awe as Deidre worked, her hands moving at blurring speeds. She would sometimes see Puck wince in pain when the little old woman tugged on the bandages to keep them in place, but for the most part the job went smoothly.

"Now go put some clothes on, Goodfellow. I'm growing tired of you treating my house like a strip club." She whacked him on the back of the head with the roll of bandages, which was considerably smaller now. Ally giggled quietly as Puck cried out in pain. She liked this woman more and more the longer she stayed here.

"Okay, okay, I'm going. Let's not give me another wound to wrap, alright?" He grumbled as he stomped out of the room. Ally looked after him with a smirk on her face. _Drama queen. _She mused to herself.

Deidre caught her staring and fixed her with a smirk of her own. "What?" Ally asked indignantly, hugging her knees to her chest.

The woman laughed lightly at the girl's embarrassment, "Do you really need to ask that question, dear? I believe you've made yourself quite obvious. The only one who wouldn't see it at this point is someone as hard-headed as Goodfellow, himself."

Ally bit her lip, "We're just friends."

Deidre gave her a look over the rims of her glasses, raising her grey eyebrows, "I've been around for centuries, my dear. There is not much that can get passed me." Ally offered an embarrassed smile, to which Deidre responded with a musical laugh. "There is nothing to be embarrassed about, child. He is a good man, once you get passed all the childishness. Although that is very hard to do, there _is_ an abundance of it."

All laughed out loud at that, "You can say that again." The two laughed together a bit longer, before Puck strolled in wearing brown cargo pants and a green hoodie, brown combat boots replacing the knee-high ones, whistling an upbeat tune to himself.

"What's so funny?" He asked, eyeing the two females suspiciously and a bit cautiously.

"Oh she was just showing me your baby pictures," Ally replied sarcastically, rolling her eyes at his nervousness.

He grinned and jumped over the back of the couch, plopping down beside her, "Funny. You know, you should look into stand-up comedy, I'm sure you'd be great." Ally just stuck out her tongue. "Witty, Angel. I'm almost proud of you."

Deidre cleared her throat, "I _do _believe you said something about getting the girl home," She said, "And I suspect you meant _before _her family all withers to dust. So if you don't mind." Puck smirked and sat back, motioning with his hand for her to continue. "I know of a trod, not far from here, it is about two mortal days away on foot." Her face turned grim, "The catch, though, is that it is within Tir Na Nog. Mab's territory." Puck's smile disappeared and his eyes shot to Ally, who had paled considerably.

He switched his gaze back to Deidre whose face was grim, "That's the only one you found? You're sure?" She nodded, but kept her eyes on the girl. "Maybe if we kept looking. There _has _to be another one that leads close to where we need to go. It doesn't have to go directly there. I can take her back no matter where we end up."

Deidre shook her head. "I checked trods to states bordering hers; it would take you a mortal month to get to the next closest one. I'm not sure she would want to be away that long, Goodfellow. Time means the world to mortals."

He looked defeated at that point, but one look at Ally and he reverted back to his usual carefree grin, for her sake. "Hey there, Angel, don't look so miserable. You've got me, remember? You think _I'll _let them get their paws on you? Me? Not a chance. I've been avoiding Ash's attempts at killing me longer than you've been alive. He couldn't put that sword through me if I was blindfolded and drunk off of faerie wine."

She attempted to swallow the lump in her throat and met his eyes, "I know that…it's just…"

Puck's eyes narrowed slightly and his expression darkened, "Rowan's not gonna touch you. In fact, I see him again and he'll need a friggin' miracle." Ally smiled a little, reassured for the moment. What did she _really _have to fear, with Puck at her side?

"Let's not forget about a certain bump in the road we ran into recently." Deidre reached over to gently touch one of Ally's elongated ears with an index finger. "Someone is bound to notice such a thing in the mortal world." Ally's stomach dropped. Deidre was right.

"Well can't I use glamour or something? You guys do it all the time, and I should be able to." She murmured, remembering some of the times that Puck had gone into deeper explanations of their power. _We draw off of any emotion we can get. The more passionate the emotion, the stronger the glamour produced. It can change our appearance; make us look human or cloak us entirely. It can be extremely helpful or incredibly deadly. It all depends on who's wielding it. _

They seemed to think it over for a bit, trading glances before Deidre spoke. "Well I suppose, though it may be difficult. You grew up unaware of what you really are; you don't know exactly what to look for, and how to utilize it when you find it. It may take a while. Glamour is complex at times._"_

Ally looked determined, "I'll do whatever I can to get my life back." She said with a short nod. Deidre smiled proudly at her.

"Such determination. Why not start now? You most likely have been able to sense emotions all your life, but not knowing what you are probably caused it to go unnoticed, therefore you are used to it and wouldn't know it without individual emotions being pointed out to you. Take your time and see if you can figure it out on your own, and feel free to ask questions if you aren't sure about something."

Ally looked at them both in turn. Deidre seemed proud of her, sure that she wouldn't fail. Puck was looking at her with confidence, beaming with that ever-present smile of his. He nodded to her when their eyes met, and was suddenly as sure as he seemed to be that she could do this. She nodded to them firmly, "Okay then." And she closed her eyes, reaching out mentally, feeling for anything she could get. Minutes later she bit her lip, feeling the edges of…_something._ Little hints of an emotion she couldn't quite figure out. Her fingers gripped the edges of the couch's cushion intently, feeling the unknown emotion slipping, receding into oblivion. She wasn't letting this go. And finally a sense of…longing flowed through her, just barely there, and not belonging to her. It felt kind of…detached from her in a way, a separate part from her and all of the things she was feeling. She knew this was it; this was the thing she had been chasing. She couldn't figure out which of the faeries sitting across beside her on the couch it belonged to, though. It was almost an ache. One of them wanted…_something_ so terribly it hurt. After a bit, she felt it receding more, before disappearing completely.

Slightly annoyed, she reached out again, finding things more easily this time. Excitement. Pride. Joy.

…Guilt. Age-old guilt that had been there longer than Ally could comprehend. Gnawing insistently at her insides. Whispering nasty things in her ear that she couldn't quite hear. She swallowed hard, squeezing her eyes tighter, "I-I…uh….I found something." She almost whispered.

"Good, good!" She heard Deidre praise her, but she couldn't share in the little old lady's happiness. Not with the guilt weighing her down and hovering around her like a fog, not quite hers, but feeling almost like a part of her.

"What is it?" Puck's curiosity poked through her thoughts.

"I-it's…um, it feels like guilt," She murmured, quickly adding, "but I'm not sure." And then it was gone. Slammed shut like a door. Shock filled its place, and she opened her eyes to find a flustered-looking Puck. Deidre was looking to him with something like sympathy. It was him. _Robin Goodfellow_, the famous Shakespearean prankster, was hiding away the kind of guilt that tore at your mind and ate away at your very essence. The kind of guilt that stayed with you your whole life, whispering in your ear words of what you had done. For what, though, she couldn't begin to understand without _his_ help.

Deidre cleared her throat, looking back and forth between the two, "Hm, well, maybe we should pick this up later. You both still need to rest your wounds before setting out, especially considering where you're headed. You'll stay here for a few mortal time days, correct?" Puck didn't look up from his hands, just nodded. "Settled then. We'll pick this up at dawn." Ally finally realized how dark it had gotten outside the windows. "I believe we should change your bandages, young lady. Puck, I believe you can handle this, my old hands are tired out for the day. Oh don't look like that, dear," She said seeing Ally's shocked expression and red-tinted cheeks, "You had some particularly nasty bites on your legs. Those and your arms are the only ones I suspect need changing." With that she left with a hasty "Goodnight, deary."

Ally sat uncomfortably, watching Puck shake himself before looking her in the eye. She thought she saw fresh pain in those emerald orbs, but it quickly disappeared and was replaced with a mischievous gleam, "I can change those ones, too, if you'd like," He smirked nodding to the white strips around her torso. She slapped his arm with a scowl and he only laughed. He picked up the bandage roll and gauze Deidre had left and got off the couch, kneeling and rolling up her pant legs.

She watched him, slowly unwrapping one leg at a time. She, after many minutes of failed attempts, gathered the courage to ask him, "It…was _you_…wasn't it?" He stiffened, and she almost regretted bringing it up.

He sighed and, very slowly, met her eyes, the pain she had seen earlier present once more. "Listen, Angel, I know that you're curious. I guess it's to be expected. But I just don't think I'm ready for you to know, just yet. I don't want you to look at me any differently after all the time we've known each other now. You're just gonna have to be patient with me. I'll tell you eventually, okay?"

She hesitated for a minute, looking into his eyes. There was a lot she didn't know, she realized for the umpteenth time. He was ancient, and he had secrets and scars and memories. He knew pain, and he knew struggle. She had always seen him as a joker, and up to now, she hadn't realized he was capable of feeling the same pain as the rest of…well _any_ living creatures. He seemed untouchable to her. "Yeah, yeah, for sure," She managed, a small reassuring smile gracing her lips, "Forget I asked, okay?"

He grinned back, seemingly brushing it off, "Sure thing. Appreciate it, Angel." He went back to dressing her wounds. His hands were efficient and gentle, flitting from one place to another almost as skillfully as Deidre had done. She watched in silence for a while, unsure of what to say.

He finished up her legs quickly, securing each bandage, making sure they'd hold, before he moved to take a seat on the sofa beside her. She turned slightly, letting him take one of her hands. Without a word, he began unwrapping her fingers softly; careful not to hurt her, even though she was pretty sure she could take it. "So…did you see Gretchen and Rory before you came for me?" She almost whispered. She felt guilty for leaving them like that. Her mom would take care of them, but just barely, which is why she worried.

He met her eyes once more, smiling slightly, "They're fine. Worried about _you_, but fine. Although your mother isn't a very responsible parent. I knew she was isolated, but honestly…she can't even find the time to come out of her room when you go _missing _for a week."

She sighed and shook her head, a sad smile forming on her features, and slightly amused that _Puck _of all people was speaking of responsibility. "I didn't expect her to. It sounds terrible that I would say that, but I really didn't. She's just…detached. It isn't that she doesn't care, but she's just drained."

He rolled his eyes, "Okay…_not _an excuse."

"I'm not saying it is. I _know _it's not, but at the same time, I can understand that she's under a lot of stress. Ever since dad left…she hasn't been the same. Every once in a while she'll come to her senses, and I guess for now, that's enough. I'm only worried about Gretch and Rore now."

He was silent for a minute, staring down as he wrapped her fingers in new bandages. "I just think she could put forth a little more _effort _for her own kids. One missing and the other two unable to take care of themselves."

Ally huffed. She wished that the fully capable middle-aged woman _would _try a little more. She didn't want much, just a mom who would come out of her room regularly and smile and cook every once in a while. She just wanted to not have to _be _the mom for once. "Change the family name to Dysfunctional." She gave him a little grin and nudged him with her shoulder, "What's with you anyway? Talking about _responsibility_. Oh how the mighty have fallen."

He snorted loudly and shook his head. "I get it, I get it. I'll stop. There, you're done." He let go of her hand, albeit slowly. His fingers brushed hers and curled lightly catching them. He sat like that for a while, holding her fingers in his and staring down at them with a slight smile, "I'll get you home, Angel, you don't have to worry." Unable to form any responding words, she just nodded. He grinned at her with sparkling green eyes, "Go get some rest, we'll work on your glamour in the morning."

"All right," She whispered, unwilling to trust her voice in speaking any louder. He pulled her into a warm hug before retreating down a hall opposite her bedroom door, retiring for the night. As Ally closed her door behind her and lay down to sleep, she wondered at the warm feeling in her chest, and the tingling in her fingers where he'd touched her. When she closed her eyes, emerald eyes stared back in darkness's stead, lulling her into a dreamless sleep.

**Bam~! Your mind has just been blown. I hope. So here we go, I thought it was about time to toss in some confusing feelings. XD I honestly don't know if they're going to end up together, although that was my initial wish, sometimes I think just friends would be good enough. Since he's a wanderer and what-not, "Not a family man" blah, blah, blah. Not that they'd necessarily be a family, but still…not quite sure. So next up we're gonna try out her glamour. Exciting stuff, I tell ya. Fell in love with Deidre ever since the idea for her character popped into my head. She was gonna be a grumpy old maid at first, but I'm happy with how she turned out X). **

**As promised, here go the thank you's. Let's make these somewhat personal shall we? You each get your own~! My gift to faithful readers.**

**Queen of Air and Darkness- You are truly awesome X3 Even though you couldn't log in you still reviewed and for that I can't thank you enough. I really **_**am **_**very lucky, as you say! And thank you for the honesty X) I'll try to write when I'm a little more alert from now on. I promise she won't be a princess, although I won't give away any more. That was never the intention, and I agree that there are a lot of those kinds of stories out there. I hope mine will be different enough for you~! **

**Emo Anna- Haha that was one of my favorite scenes. I know how you feel, though I can't necessarily say I hate Rowan. He's done bad things, but I think I understand why. I at least have a theory. Not saying that makes it excusable, though. Thanks for reviewing and I'm glad you liked it. I'll try to fit in more Rowan ass-kickings in the future.**

**Truth Be Told I'm Lying- Horrible, horrible ice princes X). I love them all. Haha though Puck can always be counted on to swoop in and save everybody, never taking any of it seriously. No Meghan (In case anyone else was wondering) Haha I'm glad the shout out made you happy~! You're reviews make me just as happy :D. I'll do the best I can, and thank you for reading. **

**Royal Writer- I'm glad you're so enthusiastic about it! Such a reaction makes me super happy~! X3 I'll update as much as I can~! Thank you, thank you, thank you~!**

**Guest- Aw, thank you! I'm glad you're liking it so far, and I hope you keep reading all the way through! **

**Imawitchywolfgirl- Thank you sooo much! I'm happy you like my writing, and ecstatic that you took the time to tell me as much. Keep reading! **

**(I apologize for the lateness of this chappy, and I'll sincerely try to pick it up. Honestly, though, school just started and it's going to be hectic for a few weeks. I will write at any breaks I get and anytime I don't have any work to do. You all are such amazing readers and I love you all so much, you have no idea~! X3 I sincerely apologize for any future inconvenience that my terrible, useless, evil-doing school causes.) **


	5. Authors Note, so so sorry!

** Before you start wondering, this is an author's note. I know, I know, I hate them too. I promised myself that I would never do it, but god **_**damn,**_** school does not let up, even in the first few weeks. So yes, I have been thinking about the story and where it could possibly go from here, but I haven't had the chance to work on it any further thus far in the school year. I sincerely apologize for doing this to you all, but I just needed to ask that you bear with me, because I hate losing readers for no other reason than the fact that I just haven't updated in a while. I hope I don't worry about not getting further into the story at this point, because I still need to work a little on the outline before I write anymore of the fifth chapter anyway, and that usually doesn't take too long. The works getting easier, so hopefully I'll have time to get on my computer and actually write something worth reading.**

** I apologize for anyone who is disappointed because of the lack of story here, but I just thought you guys needed to know that I haven't forgotten about you all. Also, I'm changing my pen name, but it'll be pretty self-explanatory, though, for any of you who know that my name is Mackie. It'll be something along the lines of Mackie Effing Mad, or anything else with Mackie in it. So with that said, thank you everyone for reading, I really appreciate the support I'm getting from all of my readers~! Everything you guys say and every time you read a new chapter means the world to me and I don't think I'll ever be able to say that enough. **

** Love you all! **

** Mackie**


	6. Glitz and Glamour (The real chapter 5)

**Hey there. I'll cut this shit short since I already gave you guys an author's note. Just wanna apologize once again for the wait. I've been having kind of a hard time lately, but I think I'm okay to write this chapter now. So yeah, after the long wait, here's the fifth chapter, finally. I in no way own this series, sadly enough. What a downer.**

**Glitz and Glamour**

There were birds chirping outside. Ally had been sitting awake in her room for a while, but she wasn't ready to get up quite yet. She was still trying to grasp the fact that she was something other than human. She reached up and fiddled with her elongated ears once more, folding them until they began to ache, only to let them go and restart the process. She whistled idly along with the feathered creatures, her features devoid of any emotion. _Glamour, huh? _She thought, mildly interested. She had never really pondered the possibility of using it herself. Sure it had been a fascinating concept from the outside, but now that she was able to use it, to recognize it as it flowed through things that would otherwise seem every day to he, it frightened her. It wasn't a gnawing fear, constant and prominent; more of a ghost in the back of her mind, reminding her that these were uncharted waters to her. A heaviness in her gut that made her feel as though there was a bubble of air sitting in it.

Her feet were still bare, but she stepped onto the wood floor anyway, testing it out as if her taller, more willowy frame would give out underneath her. She opened the door slowly, peeking out into the hallway. It was empty, which wasn't very unusual. She sighed contentedly, smelling something sweet wafting in from the kitchen, and followed the scent. The cargo pants swept the floor around her feet slightly, making a slight _swish swish _sound as she slid her feet along the wood. Deidre was standing by her pot again, chopping up what looked like pine needles to add to her concoction. Puck, however, was absent.

"Hey, Deidre." Ally greeted slowly, as to not frighten the little old woman.

She turned a little, to look at Ally over her shoulder, "Oh, you're up dear! Good morning. I trust you slept well?"

The girl smiled, sliding into the chair Puck had been sitting in the first time she came in here, "Like a baby. What're you making?"

"Oh Goodfellow's shoulder is giving him some trouble," Deidre said lightly, ladling some of the liquid into a mug, "This is to lessen the pain. Would you take it to him?"

Ally stood to take it from her, "Of course. Where is he?"

"He should be just outside. Go ahead, it's safer around here than the rest of the Wyldwood, you should be fine." Ally nodded with a small smile and headed out. The door was in the living room they had sat in last night, the mirror right beside it. She couldn't help peeking as she passed, eyeing her new look with unease. After a few seconds, she shook herself and wrapped her long fingers around the knob of the door, twisting firmly and pushing it open. The air outside was warm, though the trees didn't let much light in through their branches. Ally's feet brushed against fresh, healthy grass as she searched for Puck, calling out every once in a while.

Every once in a while, little critters would scamper into her path. Squirrels and small foxes would stare at her for a few moments before scurrying off into more underbrush. She smiled a little at how curious and unafraid they seemed. Somewhere out in front of her, there came a groan, sounding slightly pained. Ally hurried forward, knowing exactly who it would be. Puck was lying on his back in a clearing, a bright orange fox sniffing his wounded shoulder. "Puck? Are you alright?" She asked, a bit worried to say the least.

His eyes found hers and he gave a little smile that looked more like a grimace, "'Course I am." He eyed the steaming mug in her hand, "Is that from Deidre?"

"Yeah, because I really could've managed it." Ally rolled her eyes and sat next to him. He laughed and propped himself up on his elbows. She offered it to him and he took it with one hand, tipping it back to his lips. Ally watched his Adam's apple bob, his slim neck flexing as he swallowed. When he set the mug down again it was empty, and he shuddered.

"Gotta love them arrows," He grumbled, rolling his shoulder slowly as if to test it out.

"How is it?" Ally asked hesitantly, her eyes trained on the fox, now curled up in Puck's lap.

"I'll live," He murmured, emerald eyes burning into her. She met his eyes after a while, unable to let him stare like that any longer.

"Hm?" She mumbled with a questioning look.

He seemed to shake himself, and looked down at the critter lying comfortably on his legs, cheeks looking a bit pink, "We better start out on your glamour, eh?"

Feeling a bit disappointed and not knowing why, Ally nodded, "Sure."

Puck rearranged himself so that he was sitting cross-legged, disturbing the fox from its snooze. It yawned and walked off into the brush. "Ok so…let's start with something basic." He thought for a little bit, wiping his hand over his mouth a few times. "Making a flower is easy enough. Let's try that."

Ally turned to face him completely, folding her legs behind her, "Ok. How?"

He smirked at her, "Just imagine your glamour as a seed, just beneath the surface of the earth. It helps the first few times if you close your eyes." She did, imagining a little round seed beneath the dirt, thriving with life. "Now imagine roots growing out of that seed, digging deeper into the earth, taking in your magic and the nutrients from the land." Again, she imagined little vines spidering out from the seed, slowly but surely, going deeper and deeper. "And while that happens, imagine a single stem poking out from the top, breaking the surface of the seed, then the dirt, reaching upwards to see the sun." A green stem broke through the seed, crawling up effortlessly, shaking off the dirt and peering upward, budding and turning into a beautiful purple flower, its petals vibrant with life. She opened her eyes and…nothing. The dirt was unscathed, and no flower bloomed.

She rested her chin on her palm and let out air between her lips, making it sound like a farting noise. Puck chuckled, "Nobody gets it on their first try, Al, try it again. You'll get it." And she did try again. And again. And again. Until it got dark she tried and tried and tried. Nothing happened, at all. Puck even dug up some dirt to see if she had at least gotten to the seed stage. Absolutely nothing. Zip. Zilch. Nada.

"I can feel it. I know I can. I practiced when I first woke up this morning. I can feel everything I need, I just can't use it." Ally fumed, lying on her back and staring up at the leaves of the trees that obstructed her view of the sky.

"Maybe we should talk to D about it, then. She might know what's wrong." He grinned down at her, "You just worry too much."

"Or you don't worry enough." She murmured, glaring at him.

"Nope. Pretty sure I'm right." He held out a hand to her, standing too close to her head.

She stared at his dirty nails for a bit, then reached out and took his hand, a little buzz running up and down her arm from the contact. He pulled her up and she shivered, not quite letting go of his hand. He was looking at her again, with a sort of mild surprise, like he didn't remember ever having touched her. His fingers lingered on hers before he pulled away a little too hastily and turned to go. Ally stared at his receding back for a bit before hurrying to catch up to him. No matter what, she would find out what was wrong with her magic, and she would fix it. She wouldn't let whatever this thing with Puck was distract her from that. Now that she knew what she was, she wanted to learn as much as she could, do as much as she could.

**Well that was certainly a long wait. But we finally got wifi and now I can upload it. I will get right on the next chappy, because I'm kinda just ignoring my school work for the most part. So here are some thank you's for you wonderful people~!**

**Daydreamer- Thanks so much! It means a lot that you think that, and I hope you enjoy all of my future chapters as you did the past ones! **

**Emo Anna- Oh wow, thank you! Sometimes I have trouble describing things so I'm happy that you can see the scenes so well. So sorry for disappointing with that A/N :/ hopefully won't happen again.**

**Queen of Air and Darkness- Sorry again about the ooc-ness. Puck's a nickname kinda guy and I could **_**not **_**think of anything other than that. My bad, I'll definitely cut back on that. Thanks so much for letting me know! And thank you for your many reviews, I love them! Again hopefully there will be less if not no A/N's in the future.**

**The Girl Who Fakes Her Smiles- Haha thanks so much, I'm glad you like the name. Thanks for the luck, I'll need it XD. Your reviews are awesome and I love them! Thanks again!**

**Helloimkim- I'm honored to be a new fav! And thanks so much, I've been practicing a lot. Thanks for reviewing!**


	7. Wherever you go, I shall follow

** Okay, so chapter six is up. Boom son, I win. As always, thank you's will be at the bottom. You guys are all awesome, I have so many BAMF reviewers and readers. Okay so, here we go, this should be where the adventure begins. Because I don't think we want to go through yet **_**another **_**day at Deidre's, much as I love her. Don't worry, we shall never be short on the sexual tension XD. Action, romance, and pickle jars. Oh yes. And here we go, the emotional roller coaster that is chapter 6. Kidding, just enjoy XD. I love the books as much as the next chick, but I don't own them darlings. ;D**

**Wherever you go, I shall follow**

Deidre smiled lovingly at the teenage girl in front of her, sitting cross-legged on the couch. Ally had grown on the little old lady in her short time here, and it would be sad to see her leave. "You've got the bandages then?" She asked.

Ally nodded with a reassuring smile, holding up the little sack Deidre had given her, holding the gauze and bandages inside. "Of course."

"Good. And you remember how to wrap them? I'm afraid you'll have to help Goodfellow. A shoulder is not an easy place to bandage on one's own."

"Yep, I've got it covered." She bobbed her head once again. "No need to be so worried, Deidre. Puck'll keep me safe."

Deidre laughed a little at this, "I guess I am worrying too much, aren't I?"

"Especially considering this is me, we're talking about." Puck replied cockily, leaning against the archway of the kitchen. Ally turned around and grinned at him, rolling her eyes. "Al's right, nothing is going to happen as long as I'm there."

"Yes, I pity the poor bastard that crosses you, Goodfellow." Deidre chuckled a little and shook her head.

Puck sauntered over to the couch where Ally sat and looked her in the eye, "You sure you wanna do this, Al?" He asked, lightly tugging on a strand of her hair, "It would be easier to just go home and forget this ever happened."

Ally shook her head. Ever since she found out that her glamour had been sealed, and that the only one who could unseal it was the one who did it in the first place, she had become determined to find that person. Whoever thought they had the right to seal the only thing she had of the second half of herself was going to get an earful. Deidre had realized that Ally's magic was sealed the night she and Puck had returned from the forest. Ally had, upon hearing that there was only one person able to unseal it, immediately wanted to find the person responsible. They didn't have much to go on, but the Nevernever was all about gossip, and Ally knew the person she wanted to start asking first before it even had to come to that. Her mother _had _to know something about her father. At _least_ a little bit. He was the most likely culprit, after all, and her mother had been…_involved_ with him. There was a chance, no matter how slight, that she had known what he was.

Puck sighed, "Well we'd better get the hell outta dodge then. The longer we stay in the Nevernever, the easier it'll be for Rowan and his lackeys to find us." Ally shivered involuntarily, remembering the ice prince's hands on her as if they still were. Goosebumps rose on her arms. Puck noticed and crouched so they were face to face, giving her one of his best reassuring grins, "Hey, what'd I tell you before, huh?" He whispered so that only she could hear, reaching up to cradle the back of her head and bring it down so that their foreheads were touching. Breaths mingling. "He'll never get to put his hands on you again. Not as long as I'm around, and I don't plan on going anywhere."

It was times like these that Ally was the most thankful that she had met Puck. His ability to make everything seem okay was crucial for Ally at this point, and even before this all happened, he would always be there for her. She closed her eyes and focused on the sweet smell of his breath as it washed over her face. A smile stretched on her lips, "I know. My own personal body guard, I get it." He chuckled and closed the fingers on her neck around a few strands of brown hair lightly. Ally's eyes opened, and she found herself once again mesmerized by those emerald orbs he called eyes. He stared back unwaveringly, blinking only when necessary. The burning in her lungs was what alerted Ally to the fact that she hadn't been breathing. They both pulled away at the same time, and Deidre, who they had forgotten about completely, let out a little snicker.

Ally blushed and looked at her hands, fidgeting in her lap. Puck cleared his throat and drew in a shaky breath. "Well I suppose we should be off, then." He nodded to Deidre, who gave him a knowing smirk.

"Yes, yes, I realize that," She chuckled, patting him on the elbow, because that was the highest she could reach, "Behave yourself around an innocent girl like that, Goodfellow." His cheeks flamed and he grumbled at her under his breath. Ally just giggled.

"I'll miss you Deidre," Ally stood and walked over to the little old lady, bending over to hug her.

"Oh feel free to come visit whenever you'd like, dear." She replied with a smile.

Puck grinned, "Don't worry, D, you'll see me again soon enough."

"Oh I just cannot wait. I'm missing you already." Deidre said unenthusiastically. Ally and Puck laughed as they made their way to the door. Just as Ally stepped outside, Deidre called her back, shooing Puck when he tried to follow. She pulled the girl down so her ear was just in front of her face. "If you find you need it, I slipped some…_protection_ into the sack for you."

"_Deidre!" _Ally almost shrieked, staring wide-eyed at the grinning woman.

Deidre shrieked with laughter, "I was only _joking, _darling. Just trying to get a rise. Shush, shush. You must be on your way." Still laughing, the little gnome woman shooed the teenage girl on her way.

Puck eyed her curiously when she returned to his side, "What was she laughing about?"

Ally almost choked, her whole face turning completely red, "N-nothing. Forget it, it's nothing at all."

He raised a slim eyebrow at her, "Okay, okay," He replied, backing off about it, "Won't ask again." Then he grinned, "Now let's go get your magic back!"

**They won't always be this short I promise. Teasing you guys ;D. I promise I'll try to get some more length on the next few, if I have the time. So yeah, hope you guys liked it :3. Here are the thank you's. **

**RoyalWriter- Thanks so much! I'm happy you were so excited about it! :3 It's nice to see you enjoying it so much, and I hope you like all the future chapters!**

**Emo Anna- Yeah, I'll try. My school work's pretty time consuming, but I'll do my best to make future chapters longer. Thank you for reading, though :D, you're an awesome reviewer. **

**Queen of Air and Darkness- Haha, yeah I know how you feel. "Angel" is a bit too affectionate for someone as playful as Robin Goodfellow. That actually made me laugh, though, I didn't know my writing made people jump around and scream at the characters. I thought that was just something I did XD. It makes me totally happy that you're so excited about it. Thanks for reviewing so often!**

**Daydreamer- Wow, I'm so flattered that you did that! And no problem, my reviewers deserve their recognition~! Thank **_**you **_**for reading!**

**The Girl who Fakes Her Smiles- Oh you think I'm awesome~!? Thanks you so much~! X) That is a really fun coincidence XD I just really like the name, and it sounded otherworldly enough for an ancient gnome. I'm glad you like her so much, she was really fun to write. I agree, tension is great XD. I really like reading things with a lot of detail, so I do my best to portray things that way. I'm glad you like it so much, and thank you for reading!**


	8. Far From Man's Best Friend

**And here we are, after the longlonglonglooong wait. I apologize for moping as long as I did, it's just that we had a few deaths in our school and it kind of shook me. I didn't write more on either story for a while, but since the Night world fans got their share of new update, I figured you guys had waited long enough as well, especially with the last chapter being so short and all. So more sexual tension? I think yes. That and yet another infuriatingly loveable character is showing up in this chappy, so be effing excited. XD Thank you for sticking with me thus far. Still don't own the series, but you know…the day might come….probably not. Nope, no it won't. ;A;**

**Far From Man's Best Friend**

Ally walked cautiously through the Wyldwood with Puck, watching it get darker and darker as they got deeper into the huge forest. Sometimes a random bush would reach out and try to trip her, but she would frown and stomp on it before it managed to grab her ankle. She let out a screech as one of the leafy vines succeeded in tripping her.

"Dammit," She murmured as she rose painfully from the ground. Puck snickered at her, having turned back to see what was the problem. She glared at him, "Oh like you've never done it."

"Funny story," He replied with a self-righteous smirk, "I haven't."

"Bull," She pushed passed him as he laughed.

He hurried to catch up, "Pretty bold of you to take the lead, seeing as you have no clue where we're going and this forest is full of things that would just _love_ it if human was on the menu."

She stopped for a second, her cheeks flushing as she realized he was right, and crossed her arms. Glaring at him she nodded for him to go forward. He looked like he was trying really hard not to laugh, and a little embarrassed smile found its way onto Ally's mouth. "Shut up and walk." He took the lead once again and she stared between his shoulders, watching as he folded his hands behind his head, elbows sticking out into open space like his overgrown ears. She reached up and touched the point of _her _ears again, biting her lip. She really didn't know what to think about this. Maybe it _would _be easier to just stay home and forget about it, she didn't really go out much anyway, so it wouldn't be hard to hide the pointed ears. One thing was for sure, she had some serious thinking to do.

She ran into Puck's back without realizing he had stopped, and her nose throbbed as she pulled away. He gave her a curious look over his shoulder, and she stuck out her tongue, nursing her surely soon-to-be-bruised nose. "Someone's here." He murmured to her cautiously, as if not to disturb the world around him.

Ally straightened and tensed, searching the area around them for anything unusual. Hell, what was she thinking? _Everything _was unusual about the Nevernever. A loud yawn sounded from somewhere above her followed by a voice, stating in a bored tone, "It seems both Fey and humans alike share the irritating habit of stating the painfully obvious." Ally squealed and turned to hold onto Puck, terrified by the closeness of the voice.

Puck stiffened, obviously shocked by her sudden hold on him. He recovered enough to say in a shaky voice, "No need to have a heart attack, Al, it's just the cat." He turned his red face away as she pulled back, equally embarrassed. What the _hell _was her problem?

"T-the cat?" She asked trying to act nonchalant and failing terribly.

"Yes. I am a cat. Up _here, _human." Ally raised her eyes to the trees, and saw that a large dark cat was perched comfortably on a branch that was closer to the ground.

"Well _hello_, Grim. I was just thinking we needed an infuriating fur ball right about now. Looks like my prayers have been answered." Puck leaned against a tree and stared up at the cat, smirk in place. "Al, this is Grimalkin, the insufferable know-it-all cait sith that inhabits these parts of the Nevernever. And by 'these parts' I mean wherever the hell he wants."

Ally stared wide-eyed at the cat. The only time she'd seen a talking cat was as a child when she watched Alice and Wonderland. "Um, n-nice to…meet you?" She said uncertainly.

"I wish I could say the same, human." He replied in a dull monotone, licking his front paws.

"About as charming as me, isn't he?" Puck chuckled, green eyes finding Ally's. She rolled her eyes and stayed silent, wondering if she should bother to feel offended by this cat. It seemed as if he acted this way all the time. "So what is it you want, cat?"

"I was in Deidre's debt, and she called me to watch over you two. I am supposed to see to it that neither of you gets eaten and/or maimed." He yawned before adding, "With _you _here, Goodfellow, I see I will not be allotted any time for napping."

Puck grinned deviously, "Of course you will, Grim. Just know that I can't promise you won't wake up shaved." At that Grimalkin pinned his ears back and glared at Puck with big yellow eyes.

"I suggest we get moving, Goodfellow, lest we be so lucky as to draw the attention of something that could shut you up for good." He said before pouncing onto the ground and going on ahead. Puck snickered in Ally's direction and she gave him a slight smile, shaking her head and moving to follow the cat.

…

They traveled for what seemed like hours, till Ally's legs were pretty much the consistency of Jell-O. Puck was whistling absently, smiling at any bird that hopped out to see what the noise was. When she stumbled for the fifth time over absolutely nothing but air, Puck caught her gently by the arm and turned to Grimalkin's still retreating figure. "Hey, Grim! Let's take a break, yeah?"

The cat turned swiftly and padded back to where they stood, sitting down in front of them and scratching behind one ear, "It matters not to me, but I will not be finding shelter. I will leave that to you, Goodfellow." The ginger rolled his eyes and nodded. The large black cat disappeared into the bushes, probably finding something to eat for himself, and Puck turned to Ally, who was having a hard time keeping her eyes open. He grinned and turned his back, crouching down for her to climb on.

"C'mon then, sleepyhead." He chuckled as Ally situated herself comfortably on his back. He stood and continued on, but Ally didn't last much longer, the rocking of his steps lulling her into a deep, undisturbed sleep.

…

The crackling of a fire was what brought Ally to, albeit reluctantly. She stretched on the ground before sitting up and stretching one more time. She reached up to fix whatever mess her hair might be in and settled finally for just tying it up. Looking around, she found she was in a cave, and Puck sat with his back to her, cooking something over a fire. She stood and brushed herself off before making her way slowly over to him. He looked up at her as she sat beside him, yawning. She saw it was a rabbit over the fire, and it smelled _good_.

"Hey, a guy that can cook. Now that's something you don't see every day." She smirked at him.

He grinned at her, "Yeah well in the Nevernever it's kind of a given." He replied nudging her playfully with his shoulder. "Don't make fun of me, _you're _the one who's a mom at seventeen."

Ally snorted and poked at the fire absently with a stick that was sitting in between them. "Yeah, yeah, get a job."

"I happen to have one, thank you." He said proudly.

"Mhm, one that you rarely do. Does Oberon usually stay mad at you for this long?" She giggled.

Puck scratched the back of his head, "You have no idea." He let out a short breath of a laugh and reclined back onto his hands. They sat that way for a bit, in comfortable silence, before Grim trotted in, a plump rat between his teeth, size greater than that Ally had ever seen or heard of. She shivered, wondering how close he had been when he had caught it. He sat it down a little ways away from the fire and began gnawing on the thing, and Ally turned her head a bit so she wouldn't have to see.

A while later, Puck took the rabbit from the fire and cut it into smaller pieces with one of his daggers, splitting it up for himself and Ally, who thanked him and took small, tentative bites of the dead animal.

She looked out into the night, the Wyldwood was darker than she'd ever been awake to see. "How long was I out?" She asked Puck when she'd finished her meal.

"Just some hours. Not very long, it can get dark pretty quick around here." He replied from a comfortable pose on his back, one arm acting as a pillow under his head. "We're still thinking about turning in for the night, though. The Wyldwood is a hundred times more dangerous at night, and while it usually wouldn't worry me…you're here. It would be considerably more difficult to travel with a half-human who barely knows anything about this place, no offense." Ally shook her head as if to say _none taken, _and continued to stare out into the night. Every once in a while she'd think she saw something staring back at her, but whatever it was always disappeared before she could figure out if it was her imagination or something more. She shivered, remembering what had happened the last time she'd felt that, and finally she turned her attention back to Puck, who didn't switch his gaze to the flames quite fast enough.

His cheeks were turning red, as if he knew he'd been caught, and Ally smiled a bit. "What is it?" She asked, not about to let him off the hook _again_.

"Nothing," He murmured, obviously flustered.

"Oh come _on_, you never tell me _anything._" She pried, taking his sleeve in both hands and rocking back and forth to annoy him.

"Actually, if you look back, you'll find it is quite the contrary." He replied with a smile, still looking into the fire. "Here's another thing to put on the list of things I've told you: That means if you _really _think about it, I've told you loads."

Ally grinned and did not cease her rocking. "Come _on, _Puck. What were you staring for?"

"If you even have to ask then I must say I over-estimated your intelligence, human." A very irritated cait sith said from a back corner of the cave.

Puck let out a cough and sat up, "Come now, let's not disturb the kitty, Al."

_Oh no you don't._ Ally thought, not quite getting Grim's comment. "That ship has long since sailed, Goodfellow." The cat replied, curling into a tighter ball, as if that would block out their voices.

"Just tell me," Ally murmured, resting her chin on his shoulder so that she was insanely close to his ear. She grinned as she watched the pointed tip of said ear turn a bright red.

He shrugged her off with a chuckle, "Get outta here. You are a regular every-day creep, you know that?"

"Don't change the subject." Ally said.

"Well, I'm going for a midnight stroll. Why don't you take another nap, Al? You look rather tired." Puck stood, stretched, and hurried his ass out of the cave.

Ally was right on his tail, determined as ever. "Tellmetellmetellme!" She rushed after him, hearing a sigh from Grimalkin as she exited the cave's mouth.

"Oh for the love of- go back into the cave!" Puck rolled his eyes and flicked her playfully between hers.

She frowned, "I will if you tell me."

He traveled a little farther into the brush outside, and Ally _was _a bit tempted to just leave him be, but her stubbornness wouldn't allow it. She followed him, "You had something on your face." He snorted and backed up a bit more. Right into a tree. "Shit." He murmured.

She cornered him a sly smile on her face. She stood on her tiptoes so they were face to face but lost her balance and just barely caught herself on the tree. They were closer than she had ever meant for, noses almost touching and breaths mingling. She froze, he froze, and Ally was left with a _what the hell were you thinking? _moment. She hardly noticed him leaning his face closer until **(A/N: and here you guys go. Finally.) **a loud cracking sound in the bushes sounded, breaking them apart with looks like children caught with their hands in the cookie jar. **(HA! Just kidding ;D –hides from potential flying objects-) **A huge raccoon darted out of the bushes near the two like a bat out of hell, disappearing into different bushes as fast as it appeared.

Puck cleared his throat and scratched the back of his neck in a way that would make someone think he needed to get checked for fleas, "We should probably head back." He murmured.

Ally drew in a shaky breath, "Yeah…we should." Slowly and awkwardly, the two headed back in the direction of the cave. It took longer than Ally expected it would to get back, but then she hadn't been paying attention to how far they had been traveling on the way into the trees. She was surprised, with her leading, that they had made it back at all.

Behind her, Puck's footfalls stopped, and he called out a quiet, "Al, wait." She turned slowly, her heart beating a mile a minute, having not really calmed down from that almost-kiss. Well, she couldn't really pretend to herself that she didn't know what was going on between them now, could she? How awkward would this be the rest of the trip? She had no idea what was coming, consumed in her frantic thoughts, until he was right upon her. His lips held no hesitancy, pressing hard against hers. He was…_good. _Ally's arms found their way around his neck, pulling her up onto her toes, and one hand fisted in fiery hair. Strong, lean arms snaked around Ally's waist and pulled her against him. She moved the hand that wasn't in his hair to his shoulder, squeezing as he bit her lower lip lightly. Well…maybe things wouldn't be so awkward after all.

**Oh be grateful XD, I was seriously thinking about leaving it at the almost-kiss and putting the actual one a few chapters later, but I was bored. XD ** **I'm interested in what I'm gonna get for doing that, but boom. AY LA BAMBA! I…don't know. Sorry it took so long, again. Moping is serious biz. But alas, I am done and chapters will be plentiful. If Wilma stops bothering me. ALRIGHT, Gratitude at the bottom.**

**xX Blood-Bond Xx- Amen to that. Down with work, I say! And yes, D's humor is something I can definitely laugh at. XD Thanks for reviewing, awesome awesome you. X3**

**Queen of Air and Darkness- your reaction literally made me laugh harder than D's comment or any of the funniest fanfics I have ever read. I was just about on the floor xD. Thanks you for being one of my most loyal and one of the funniest reviewers I have ever had xD. Your opinions really help :3. Stay golden!**

**Daydreamer-Oh well I'm glad, I don't know what I'd do if I got rid of you :o. I'd never want to X3. Thanks so much for reading and reviewing :D really helps.**

**JLdark- Thaank you~! X3 I'm glad I'm doing good on intimate moments. Definitely not from experience ;-; XDD. I'm glad you like the story :3 thanks so much for reading.**

**Ninja princess LW- Oh god you have no idea how happy three whole reviews makes me X3 on the same chapter, too. X) and thanks for the support, I'm glad you like it so much. You are **_**awesome~! **_**:DD**


	9. In Another's Arms

**So hey everyone, how are we all? Sorry for the wait, so as an apology I put some fluff in there. Also because I felt like writing fluff. YOLO. Well, it's kinda fluff. But that aside, here's the next chapter. Hope you guys enjoy, I worked hard. Here you go, read on my lovelies.**

**In Another's Arms**

She had awoken to lips trailing soft kisses down the line of her jaw. For a minute, Ally was terribly confused. Had she woken up in an alternate universe where guys actually took an interest in her? If that was the case she couldn't say she was disappointed. Then she remembered where she was, and more importantly, who she was with. She let out a little squeak and opened her eyes quickly. Puck chuckled beside her and nuzzled into the base of her neck.

"Morning there, Al." He murmured, sending the vibrations of his voice through her her sensitive neck.

She turned her face into his hair and breathed in his scent. "Morning." She didn't want to move, that was for sure, but he kissed her skin one last time before removing his face and standing, stretching out his long arms behind him in a way that lifted his shirt a bit to show tanned abs. Ally groaned and buried her face in her arms.

"What the hell is that?" She grumbled.

He eyed her with an odd look, "What?"

She gave him a long look and finally stood, yawning enough to make her eyes water, "Oh nothing, nothing."

Grimalkin trotted up to them and plopped down at Ally's feet, beginning to groom himself for the millionth time since she had met him, "If you two are quite done, I would like to get an early start today." His yellow eyes found Ally's and she thought she might have detected a little amusement in them.

She shook herself and said, "Yeah, sure thing."

Puck slung an arm around her waist and pulled her in to kiss her cheek with a little sly grin, "Ready when you are." She blushed and swatted at him before they broke apart and headed out, following the cat who had already begun without them.

...

They trudged through the wyldwood for a few hours before Puck spoke up. "So where is this trod located, anyway?" He asked Grim. "I know it's in winter territories, but where in Tir Na Nog is it?"

Grim sighed, "And what would you have done if I hadn't come along, Goodfellow? You left without bothering to ask where in Tir Na Nog you could find the door to the Mortal World? Do you ever think?"

Puck smiled sheepishly and scratched the back of his head, "Uh...wing it?" He replied.

Ally sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose, "And to think I felt so safe with you around. I guess we need the cat more than I thought."

Puck feigned a hurt look and held a hand to his chest, "You wound me, Al, you really do."

"I believe I agree with the human for once. To answer your earlier question, Goodfellow, the trod is deep within the winter court. I believe it is near where the human was being held. We'll have to go through one of the courtyards of Mab's castle."

Puck's face took on a predatory leer, "So we'll likely run into one of her favorite little minions."

"Correct."

"Wonderful."

Ally didn't share in his enthusiasm. If she saw either Rowan or Ash again she might throw up. Just thinking about it made her queasy. She felt a squeeze at her hand and looked up to see Puck grinning at her, a hint of worry buried in his eyes. She smiled reassuringly and squeezed his warm hand back. "I'm alright." She murmured for only him to hear.

He nodded and let his eyes wander back to the path ahead of them. Never once did he let go of her hand. Ally's mind wandered in the silence that followed. What would they do if her mom really didn't know anything about her father and where to find him? What would they do then? Blindly traipse around the Nevernever until they found someone with even the slightest clue as to who she belonged to? That didn't sound either safe or productive. Her eyes took in the vegetation around her, trying to pry her mind from the what-ifs and focus her on something more...positive? She didn't know, she just needed a distraction.

...

They stopped to rest every once in a while, never for very long. It was never wise to stay in the same place for too long in the Nevernever. It took them a while, but they finally entered into the winter territories. Ally hadn't really noticed the drop in temperature until the goosebumps rose on her arms. She shivered as a freezing gust of wind blew over her exposed skin.

"I did not dress for this." She stuttered, shaking already.

Puck looked equally uncomfortable, "Close your eyes for a second."

She knew better than to argue by now. Her eyes shut tightly, and she felt a light pressure settle over her. She opened her eyes when it lifted, finding that her clothes had changed to a tight leather jacket lined with fur and skinny jeans tucked into fur boots.

"Better?" He asked with a smirk.

"Much," she grinned tucking her hands into warm pockets. They continued walking, and it became more apparent that they were in winter territories. The trees turned to evergreens and snow coated the ground in a light powder, making everything seem even more beautiful. Ally stared in awe. Even winter where she lived wasn't as pretty as this. She hadn't really gotten the chance to look around at Unseelie territories when she was first there; she had been unconscious all up until they put her in the cell. She had imagined frozen wastelands with creatures impaled on cloudy icicles and bloody snow, etc. etc.

Nothing like what it actually was. If any creatures had been impaled on the clear, sparkling icicles they passed, the fey new how to hide it. The snow crunched under the three's feet, squeaking against the leather of Puck's boots.

"There is an empty estate just up ahead." Grimalkin murmured, seeming to lower his voice in these territories. "The owners are at court for the next few human weeks. We will stay there."

"Do I dare ask how you know this?" Puck raised an eyebrow at the large gray cat.

He looked to Ally and mouthed along when Grimalkin answered "I am a cat." making her smile. Grimalkin was right, they saw, when soon after that exchange a large Victorian mansion made its way into their view. It was a beautiful dark building, and it looked like the windows were made of ice. There were large faerie metal gates for an entrance onto the estate, the pathway leading up to the door made of stone. The building was rather square, one tower rising higher than the rest right in the middle, over the door. Everything was covered in a light dusting of frost. Puck tried the gates, which were apparently left unlocked. They all hurried through, and he shut and locked them before following the other two up the pathway. They passed under an archway to the front door, which was black with intricate patterns of frost running across as a border. The door was also unlocked. They entered silently, even Puck. Ally hoped to god Grim was right, so they didn't have to go through a whole confrontation about why summer fey were entering a winter Fey's household. Grim and Puck left Ally in the entryway, going through the frigid mansion to check all of the rooms.

Puck came back alone. "The place is empty, just as Grim said. He's off napping somewhere now. Maybe we should follow his lead. I don't know about you, but I'm exhausted." Ally yawned in agreement.

"Is there possibly someplace where I won't get hypothermia and die in my sleep?" She asked tiredly.

Puck grinned mischievously and nodded, "With me." She whacked his arm with a scowl. "Ouch. I'm serious, though. Anywhere else and you'll probably freeze, but I'm still warm enough to act as your personal furnace." She giggled at that, rolling her eyes as e bowed low with an exaggerated English accent, "At your service Madame."

"Let's go then, Prince Charming, before I keel over right here." She teased, walking ahead of him.

"Ha, a charming furnace. I could do worse," he shrugged and followed with a little smile. They climbed he winding stairs to the second floor, the wood creaking under their weight. Puck directed her to the second door on the right in the hallway the entered, and she followed him inside. He shut the door quietly, eyeing Ally with a strange look on his face. Was he embarrassed?

They had slept-innocently-together the night before, that much was true. Now that Ally thought about it though, that had been impulsive. They had been caught up in each other then, too amazed that they both felt the same way to think much about what they were doing until they fell asleep in each others arms. Now there wasn't anything to distract them, and Ally could feel her cheeks getting red as she watched Puck shake himself and move to the bed, which was small, so they'd have to squish together. She didn't mind the thought, but she had no idea how to carry it out without being an awkward mess. She had never been great with boys. He cocked his head at her, curious, and she realized she was staring. Slowly, she took careful steps towards him.

When she was close enough he took her wrist gently and tugged lightly, scooting over as much as she could to make room. They lay down slowly, awkwardly, and Puck pulled her into his chest, his heat slowly warming her numb nerves. She hadn't realized how cold she was. Puck shivered when her arms wrapped around him. "Jeez you're freezing, Al."

She laughed quietly, "Sorry." She murmured against his collar bone, where she had buried her face to warm up quicker. She closed her eyes and listened to his heart. She couldn't help the smile that pulled at her lips when she heard how fast it was going. She left the ghost of an ice cold kiss on the bare skin right where it would be, and she felt Puck take in a shaky breath. His heart stuttered and picked up a second later.

His lips brushed her temple once, then a second time. A third. A small kiss came next, and Ally let one hand grab a fist of fabric of his hoodie, smiling again. She let out a little sigh and closed her eyes, nuzzling into him to get comfortable. She felt him rest his chin on the top of her head. They fell asleep that way; completely and utterly together.

**xX Blood-Bond Xx: Glad you liked it. Also glad I'm portraying Grim right, I was worried about that. **** thanks for reviewing.**

**Daydreamer: Thanks so much~! That's amazing of you to say, and I'm glad you like it so much. **

**JLdark: Haha, I was seriously considering just leaving it there. I'm glad I put in though, getting a lot of good feedback for it. :D thanks for reviewing~!**

**Queen of Air and Darkness: Aha xDD If they do it'll be subtle…don't wanna make this an M xDD. Ah yes, there can never be too much Puck XDD yum yum. Haha yeah, I find you hilarious actually xD. Anyway, I'm glad you keep reviewing, regardless off the reason :D 3 thanks so much~!**

**The Fallen Spring Princess: Why thank you :D I'm glad you think so~!**

**Guest: aw thanks X)**

**Ninja Princess LW: Wow xD I'm glad you're so enthusiastic 3 and I hope you enjoyed this chapter just as much as the last :DD.**

**The Girl Who Fakes Her Smiles: XD Yes, Puck is Mr. Smooth. XD Oh thank god Grim is so lazy, otherwise that could have been even more awkward xD. Thanks for reviewing again :DD**

**Guest: xD sorry I took so long, but here you go :D.**


	10. Take This Gift, My Gift To You

**Hey everyone~! Bet you didn't expect the next chapter so soon ;D. I started working on this on my phone, so I get a lot done during school, and I don't get bored with writing so easily after I do it for a long time. So yeah, I'll try to pick up the pace, but I also need to start working, because exams are coming up and I'm failing a required class XD. So yeah, wow, here's number nine, then. Enjoy you guys~! Still do not own the series, because…you know I've said it a lot I think you get the point.**

**Take This Gift, My Gift to You**

_Ally was walking through tall grass. She was barefoot, and the ground was warm and scratchy beneath her feet. One look around showed that she was in the middle of nowhere. The grass-up to her hips-stretched as far as she could possibly see. All the way to where the ground met the baby blue sky. She was confused, hadn't she been cold? Her mind was foggy, but she was pretty sure that she remembered snow...and holding on to something. Something warm. A light laugh floated to her ears, and Ally suddenly wanted to laugh with it. She was filled with a sudden overwhelming sense of joy that she couldn't help but smile. _

_"Turn around so I can see your face, daughter," The voice that spoke to her was a low one, deep but at the same time somehow soft. She obeyed, still smiling._

_The man behind her was tall and broad shouldered, strong and capable. His brown hair swished in the ever present wind that gusted lightly over the field of outstretched green. His eyes were as blue as the sky above them, and laugh lines crinkled at the corners. His face was handsome and eternally young, but Ally sensed the wisdom of thousands of years within him. This...was her father. There was no doubt in her mind, not when she seemed to recognize him even when she had never seen him in her life. Her entire soul cried out to this man, this man who she was finally meeting. She looked so much like him, she could see it clearly. _

_"Ah, as beautiful as your mother, indeed." He whispered, seeming almost awed. "It has been so long." _

_The smile turned to a grin, and without really meaning to, she stepped towards him, "Father." Her voice was warm with welcoming. _

_He seemed pleased that she knew him, even when she should not. "Hello, Alyssa." He opened his arms wide, and she threw herself into them. She had no idea how he had found her, or how she had gotten to this place, but suddenly she never wanted to leave. "I'm so glad you found this place, Alyssa. I've wanted you to know for so long." _

_"Know?" She asked uncertainly. _

_"About your true heritage. You are half fey, daughter. Surely you know this?" He asked, holding her by the shoulders when they pulled away to look at each other. _

_"I...do." She murmured. She remembered. Everything came flooding back. Meeting Puck, getting Taken, being saved, finding out she was fey, falling in love, all of it. She remembered what she was trying to do. "I need to get back home. Unseal my magic so I can learn more about what...this is." She motioned to her pointed ears._

_Her father smiled, "Yes, your mother will know who has done this. I know she knows." He sighed, looking tired all of a sudden, "She may very well have put someone up to it." _

_Ally jerked, "Why..?" _

_"She always feared the fey, even me. Of course, she fell in love with me after time, despite fear, or you would not be here." Her father replied grimly, "Without me to protect you, she must have had your magic sealed so you wouldn't find out; wouldn't draw unwanted attention." _

_Ally felt something like pain in her chest, "Well...why did you leave?" _

_Her father looked her in the eyes for a long time before answering. "I was...killed by Queen Mab. She captured me after a fight between Oberon and herself. She thought it might make him pay, to kill some of the subjects that served him closely. I was only one of the unlucky ones." _

_Her breath caught in her throat and her head throbbed with the new knowledge. Suddenly, everything ached. "Then how are we...?" _

_He eyed her worriedly, "I am only half fey as well, so a part of me still resides in the land. I suppose the reason I couldn't reach you the first time you were in Tir Na Nog is because you were too unaware of what you were at the time. Now that you know, I can contact you, even though I am dead." An apologetic smile crossed his face, "I've been stuck here for a while, but now that I've found you, I can give you this and stay close" He broke away from her fully, digging around in his brown trench coat he wore until he found what he was looking for. He withdrew a large dagger from his pocket, the hilt made of oak wood, polished and curved to fit the fingers that wielded it. Two Phoenix feathers were tied around the hilt, but the most beautiful thing was the blade. It looked to be made of crystal, or some other clear, polished stone that caught the sunlight and twinkled brightly. It sent small translucent rainbows in all directions. He held it out to his daughter with care. _

_Ally stared in awe and whispered, "I can have it?"_

_Her father laughed, his eyes crinkling at the corners again as his face lit up with the motion. "Yes. It was my father's. Now I pass it on to you. And with it, my spirit." She reached out a tentative hand and grabbed the weapon gently, afraid she would break the fragile-looking thing. When she ran her fingers along the blade, she found that it was harder than any metal, and she would stand no chance against the stone. _

_For something so dangerous, it was absolutely gorgeous. "Father I-" _

_"Do not worry, daughter. I have no use for it now. Keep it, I will guide you the rest of the way. Maybe then I can finally rest." He smiled tiredly, and for the first time, Ally noticed the. Exhaustion in his features. He had lived such a long time, and even after death he'd had to wait for her. She nodded, suddenly determined. _

_"I must go now. But remember that I am with you always." He murmured, bringing her close for one last hug. _

_"Yes, father. Thank you." She whispered. And with the wind, he disappeared._

**Wooo, well look at this turn in events. Let me know if anything is confusing and I'll explain it in an inbox or the next A/N or something. I don't know why, I just feel like I'm being confusing. My god X) I hope not. Tell me what you think.**

**Ninja Princess LW: Ha, quick enough for you? xD I didn't expect this one to be up so quickly but here ya go xD**

**Queen of Air and Darkness: LOL it's quite alright xD I find I am swept up by his sexiness very often. Oh that's my favorite too~! X) I had so much fun writing fluff for the first time…knowingly anyway xD. Glad you liked it so much 3 XDD**

**NitroTeddyRage: Why thank you :D. So glad you think so. It's an honor X)**

**xX Blood-Bond Xx: Ooooh thank you so much~! XD I didn't know thaat~! I do try my best and I'm glad that it shows :D**

**Rafanan: Thank you so much~! :D Thanks for reading X)**


	11. Baby Come Home Again

**I know, I know, I'm a monster. Such is the life of a professional procrastinator. But there is no need to worry any longer because guess what's here. Another effing chapter. Woo frigging hoo, yeah? That's what I thought. I'm sick, my computer's slow, and I'm all around in a bad mood ^_^. So you know, read and enjoy, review maybe, although I don't think I even need to ask anymore cuz you're all so wonderful. Shoot me a message on facebook sometime ;D xDD. But yeah, on a more melancholy note, I don't own this series or its characters. I just pretty much thought up the OC and the Plot. Sadly my name isn't Julie Kagawa and I don't have half as much talent as her in the first place xDD. Enjoy anyway, though, yeah?**

**Baby Come Home Again**

She awoke slowly, nothing moving but her eyes when they peeled open to see a blob of green that her arms were wrapped around. She felt a tight restraint around her hips and waist, although it was comfortable. It took a while for her groggy mind to register that this was Puck. Light snores above her told her as much. She yawned and buried her face back into his chest, but something in her pocket was jabbing her side insistently. Without moving too much, trying not to jostle Puck, she reached in and pulled out what she realized was a dagger. She gasped quietly as it all came back to her. It had been a dream, she knew that now, but then how did she end up with the exact same dagger? She blinked a few times; even bit the inside of her cheek, but it was always there.

Well shit.

She tried to turn slowly onto her other side, but being in Puck's embrace proved to make that difficult. She reached out and set it quietly on the floor, pushing it only slightly under the bed. She didn't know why she didn't want the other two to know she had it, but she didn't. She felt Puck shift, and when she turned back his eyes were wide open. She jumped about ten feet into the air and choked back a startled scream. Puck was grinning before she had even finished freaking out, "Good morning to you, too. Glad to know you're so happy to see me."

Ally sputtered a laugh and pressed her face into his shoulder, "Sorry. I had a dream, I was just jumpy."

"You don't say." Puck chuckled, kissing just above her ear. "Man I'm hungry."

Ally rolled her eyes, "Men and their stomachs."

He gave her a look, "You mean to tell me you're not?"

She grinned, "Maybe just a bit."

"Mhm." It was his turn to roll his eyes. His arms slid from around her so he could stretch tiredly. "Was I warm enough?" He raised his eyebrows at her mischievously, a little smile teasing her.

She smiled and shook her head in disbelief at his immaturity, "Hypothermia sounds good all of a sudden."

He made to look crestfallen, but laughed in the process and gave up, "Let's go find the cat, then." He suggested. She nodded.

"You go on, I'll be right out." He raised an eyebrow. She thought he would ask why, and she dreaded the thought, but he just shrugged and nodded, leaving her to her business. When she was sure he was gone, she kneeled to grab the dagger under the bed. Her fingers found it and wrapped around it, and she pulled it out and stuck it in the waistband of her jeans so her jacket would hide it. When she made sure it was well-concealed, Ally met Puck out in the hallway. He smirked and tilted his head at her.

"Ready, Al?" He asked with a chuckle.

She stuck out her tongue and started down the stairs without him. He laughed again and followed. They found Grim in what looked to be a living room space. Love seats gathered around a probably underused fire place, and a large window gaped between two frosty curtains to show a frozen fountain in their yard. He was waiting for them, playing with a fraying string from a blanket that was draped over the back of one of the love seats.

"And I thought you two would never awaken. Welcome to the world of the living." He said, sounding bored.

"Like you're one to talk of laziness, Grimalkin." Puck replied as he leaned against one of the walls, pulling an apple from his hoodie and tossing it to Ally. She caught it easily.

"It is not laziness when one still gets things done efficiently, Goodfellow." The cat's voice was a smooth monotone, but his ears twitched like he'd been offended.

Ally sighed, "So what's next, Grim? Will we get to the court today?" She asked to put them back on track. The cat looked to her and seemed to nod.

"We will reach the trod today, if no complications arise." He replied, licking a paw.

"And if they do?" Puck asked.

"Well, then we will, as you so articulately put it...'wing it'." Grim told him stiffly. Puck snorted. Ally smirked and hid it by taking a bite from her apple. "Let us be on our way, then, human. The faster we get to your home the better. Do you still wish to leave again afterwards; the journey could very well be a long one."

Ally nodded, "I'm sure. Even more so than before." She said to him. The cat looked up at her knowingly, and seemed to smile.

"Then let's be on our way."

...

They had been walking for roughly an hour, when Grim suddenly stopped. Puck was about to ask what was wrong when he hissed and disappeared. Puck didn't hesitate in drawing his curved daggers. Sinister little laughs rang around them, rough and low. Ally immediately recognized the sound. Redcaps. They slid from the shadows, brandishing sharp knives and even sharper teeth. Some had scars raking across their ugly faces, but she recognized the leader with the dead eye.

He grinned at her, mad hunger in his eyes, "Well look who decided to return. Come, little human, Prince Rowan is not here to call us off this time." She shuddered and shrunk back.

Puck regarded the shark-toothed leader with a dangerous leer, "Hey, fish breath, looks like you're forgetting someone." He twirled his daggers menacingly and stepped in front of Ally.

Dead-eye's smile grew wider and more bloodthirsty, "How rude of me." He replied sarcastically, "Look boys, it's Robin Goodfellow! Looks like we'll be eatin' good tonight."

Puck hunched his shoulders, ready to attack, "Hope you like the taste of a blade." He grinned menacingly, and they attacked. The majority went for Puck, teeth snapping loudly. Puck served many with a swift kick to the face. One went too low and latched onto the smooth leather of his boot, and Puck sunk a dagger into the back of its neck before it could shred it.

Ally was too absorbed in worrying about him to notice the hungry creature sneaking up from her left.

_Pay attention, daughter._

Her father's voice echoed in her mind, urging her to spin out of the way as soon as the thing attacked. The redcap's teeth dug into snowy ground, and it snarled as it jerked its head up, spitting dirt everywhere.

_Use your blade, I will guide you._ Out of instinct she hadn't known she possessed, she began circling the sharp-toothed monster. She reached under her jacket and withdrew her knife, pointing it at the angry little demon.

"You're delusional if you think a mere human can defeat me just because it has a blade, girl." The redcap snarled. He sprang again and her body dodged of its own accord. Too slow, and the thing sunk its razor-like teeth into her arm. Ally let out a pained yelp as the teeth pierced the jacket and the long sleeve under it, sinking into her skin like flaming knives. She tried to shake it off, but was unsuccessful. Trying to think through the blinding pain, she switched he dagger to her other hand.

"You little bastard!" She cursed it, sinking the crystal-like blade into its eye. She yanked it out with a savage twist, and the redcap dropped to the ground with a dying shriek of agony. Blood soaked Ally's arm, drenching the tattered sleeve of the t shirt that she wore under her jacket and dripping in dark red streams off of her fingers. Her attention was turned to Puck when she heard his cursing. Most of the savage redcaps were dead at his feet and disappearing, but Dead-eye was still attacking him. Blood soaked a spot on one of his pant legs, making it stick to a gash that was visible through the ripped material.

_Throw it._ Her father told her firmly, his voice sure. Dead-eye leaped for Puck's face, teeth snapping. Without even thinking, Ally drew her arm back and jerked it forward in one smooth motion, and the blade found Dead-eye's chest in mid-air. Puck stood looking shell-shocked, still poised to attack. He straightened and turned to Ally, an eyebrow raised.

His eyes found the dead redcap at her feet, a bloody hole where its eye had been, and slowly found their way back to her, "So...I'm not sure about you, but I'd really like to know what's going on. Maybe it's just me."

"I must agree with Goodfellow, though the occurrence of such a thing is rare." Grim emerged from the bushes calmly, "Would you like to explain, human?"

Ally searched both of their faces nervously, unknowing of what to say to them. Puck put his daggers away with a sigh and went to retrieve Ally's from the ground where Dead-eye had once been. He went to clean it but stopped to take in the appearance. "Wait...I remember this dagger." He said as if it was just dawning on him. "It belonged to another of Oberon's lackeys. He was half-fey, like Al, but such an exceptional warrior that Oberon made an exception and allowed his presence in the court. He still got a lot of crap for his blood, though, and Lord Pointy Ears was still extremely strict with him, more so than me or any of his other close servants. Name was Rallyn, or something."

Ally's breath caught. More confirmation that her dream may have been more than just an imagined vision, "My father." She whispered.

Grim eyed her carefully, "You already know, human?"

Ally nodded, "He contacted me somehow. Told me that he'd been waiting and that if he guided me and helped me unseal my power then he would be able to rest."

Puck looked between them both, eyes wide and eyebrows raised, "So Ally's only a quarter fey?" He asked dubiously.

Grim nodded. "Correct, although there isn't much difference from a half fey and a quarter, other than the fact that the less fey you are, the more likely that you are going to die sooner."

Puck scratched the back of his head, "And the plot thickens." He muttered with another sigh. "I wasn't aware the guy had any kids, although now that I think about it you do look like him."

Grim stared at Ally for a long time before starting to lick a front paw indifferently, "Yes well, as _interesting_ as this all is, you both are bleeding all over the place and its bound to attract some unwanted attention. I'd advise you to wrap those up and let us be on our way before we must encounter something as equally unpleasant as the redcaps."

Ally remembered her arm then, and the pain that came with it. It stung like crazy, and her warm blood coated every inch of her hand, drying in some places and making it crusty and brown. Puck only just noticed, and cursed under his breath, "C'mere, Al. We need to hurry. That is one _nasty_ bite." And didn't she know it, now that her adrenaline was leaving her and a new, fiercer pain taking its place. Puck was gentle enough, rolling up the ruined sleeves and using the snow to wash the dried blood off of her whole arm. He took the sack Deidre had given them out of his hoodie pocket and dug around inside. For a second, his eyes widened and his whole face turned beet red, but he shook himself and continued dressing Ally's wound. Ally raised an eyebrow at him but didn't say anything. She winced when he pulled the bandages tight, securing them in place before continuing on to fix up his own injury. When Puck was finished they both stood, turning to leave. Grim's tail thumped the ground, and he stared at the two with a mocking amount of patience.

"Done now, are you? It is about time." He stood, stretching in one long, lazy motion before heading off in the other direction. Puck rolled his eyes and followed, looking back to check on Ally, who nodded with a small smile that said she was coming. She noticed Puck fiddling with the bag of supplies, eyeing it with a sort of embarrassment, and touched his arm.

"Something the matter?" She asked him curiously and tilting her head.

He gave a small start, like he hadn't noticed her there, and shook his head, "Nah, just thinking." He murmured.

"I shudder at the thought of what may happen if you do _that_ too often, Goodfellow." Grimalkin replied from ahead of them.

"What's _that_ supposed to mean, fur ball?!" Puck yelled indignantly. Ally snorted and covered her mouth to hide it quickly. He gave her a glare that only made her laugh harder, and after a while he smiled as well. "So happy you're on my side, Al." Another snort.

...

Standing at the edge of Tir Na Nog-Mab's court-Ally could see all kinds of creatures. Stunningly beautiful sidhe with severe faces and regal grace. Trolls thumping around clumsily, sometimes crushing nearby redcaps under their feet when they walked, seeming not to note the destruction they caused. Bogeys hiding in the darkness, stalking unsuspecting victims. It was frightening and lovely and gruesome, all at the same time. There were gardens of blood red and midnight black roses, encased in ice to preserve their beauty. Figures of people, human and fey alike made out of ice and looking incredibly life like, scattered the grounds. Ally shuddered at the detail, and then one nearby sculpture blinked. She gasped in fright and grabbed onto Puck's sleeve in a vice grip. He gave her a questioning look but seemed more than happy to slide an arm around her waist and pull her close.

"Since you're unable to use glamour, you'll have to stay close so I can cloak you as well. I'm sure the _cat_ will have no problem with that aspect." Puck shot a look at Grim licking a paw on the ground.

"That almost sounded like an insult, Goodfellow." He replied, continuing to groom himself.

"Me?" Puck asked innocently, "Insult you? Well I'd _never_."

The cat sighed and seemed to roll his eyes, "Let us get this over with, then. And do try to refrain from giving a winter sidhe an ass's head, Goodfellow. We do not need another fight so soon."

"_Psh_, you never let me have any fun." Puck pouted as they began to walk. Ally couldn't explain the feeling of being invisible. It was a tingling sensation, a feeling that was almost there but not. It felt almost as if she was levitating a few centimeters off of the ground; like she wasn't really a part of this world anymore. Strangely detached from everything. It was...interesting to say the least. They marched in step with everyone else, careful not to bump into anyone and alert them of their presence.

"There it is, human." She heard Grimalkin's soft voice.

She didn't see anything, just a large frozen forest beyond the courtyard. "Where?" She murmured.

"In the forest," Puck replied pointing towards the frosty evergreens.

She felt a rush of excitement at the sight of the trod. All they had to do was walk through and they'd be back in the mortal world. She would be able to see Gretchen and Rory again. She would be able to learn more about her fey heritage. "Let's go then." She smiled up at him. His green eyes searched her face for a second before a warm, lopsided grin stretched his lips.

"Yeah," he murmured, ducking his head to place a quick peck at the corner of her mouth, lingering for a second, "let's go."

**AHA, so cute. My babies :3. Okay I'm done. Hey, I wonder what'll happen now :D. No really, I need to think this through. This really wasn't one of my favorite chapters. Seemed a little sloppy to me, but I rushed to get it up, too, so…blerg. Feel free to send suggestions if you wanna see something specific in the future, and it may or may not show up. Yes, there was a "may not" there. **

**Oceaneyes64- Oh my, I'm sorry I took so long. I can only hope it was worth the wait. Thanks for reading :3.**

**Bitterglass- xD *narrowly avoids getting stabbed like the secret ninja she is* and you reviewed TWICE. Omfg I almost died :D. Thanks so much~!**

**The Girl Who Fakes Her Smiles- XDD I didn't even read know about this review until after I wrote the fight scene. Woo, way to go for super, blood-deep, fantastical skills~! xD And yeah I thought that was very like him, too. Like…where's **_**my **_**Puck, Julie? xD OMFG I love Ash and Mare too! Ash is just so…hdglkjlg. Thanks for reviewing, yo. :3**

**Ninja Princess LW- It's quite alright, all that matters is that you reviewed xD. Thanks so much, you're awesome~!**

**The Fallen Spring Princess- Right?! :D I was happy to write that part. Thanks so much, I'm glad you like it :DD.**

**Daydreamer- Ohemgee I inspired tears~! They are awkwardly cute :3 I'm jealous. Thanks so much for reviewing~!**

**xX Blood-Blond Xx- You're welcome~! :3 thank **_**you **_**for reading~! It's always wonderful to see your comments.**

**Queenie- Okeyday, I messaged you about your questions, right? Hopefully this chapter cleared it up just a bit more :D. I don't think most of the story will be focused on her father's relationship with Oberon and her mother's Sight, so I didn't really go into those. Hopefully Puck cleared up the dad thing a little bit though ^_^. And thanks so much :D I try my best. (My phone **_**is **_**crazy. Typing on it almost gets me caught in school xD)**


	12. Enemy Forces

**AHA! AHA HA! Guess what I have~! For all you wonderful people out there who read this and send your lovely comments, I have created yet another chapter for your wonderful, beautiful eyes xD. Action packed, too :D. Yes I can hear your **_**oohs **_**and **_**ahhs **_**from here. Don't worry, more fluff is on the way I promise. Probably in the next chapter~! Just because I love writing it the most, next to fight scenes. I know **_**someone's **_**excited for the "protection" to come into play .. Ahem, Queenie, ahem ahem. xD Kidding, but you know…maybe. NO M RATING FOR THIS STORY I SAY! Ahem. Now that that's over and done with, enjoy this new installment to the fullest. **

**Enemy Forces**

There was something unsettling stirring in Ally's gut as they made their way towards the forest of frozen trees. She couldn't really tell why she felt that way, and brushed it off as nerves. She was going home after staying in the Nevernever for weeks, not caring for her two siblings that trusted her with everything. She felt more than a little guilty. Their steps made no sound as they passed several creatures, avoiding anything big enough to crush them underfoot. They made no sound, and as far as Ally could tell Puck's glamour hadn't wavered once; so why did she feel as if someone knew that they were there? It was odd, but she figured it was just paranoia from her horrid memories of this place. She pressed harder against Puck and stared ahead. The branches were close together, and Ally and Puck had to slip through, dodging needles that looked sharper than normal. Sharp enough to stab through someone. Ally shuddered and continued on. Puck dropped the glamour once the were a safe distance inside, and pointed ahead. Ally followed his finger to see an intricately designed door that stood between two trees that acted as its frame. It was the same colour and texture as the tree bark itself, and she wouldn't have seen it as anything more than a large trunk without Puck's guidance. "That's it?" She gasped, reaching out to brush her fingers against the rough wood.

"This is it. The doorway home. You ready for this?" He came up to stand beside her, putting a hand on her shoulder and staring down at her with burning green eyes. She nodded, leaning into him. She was grateful for his solidness at that moment, that she could lean against him for comfort. He kissed the top of her head and left his lips there, smiling against her scalp. "Now all we need is the cat." He said.

"I am here, Goodfellow. Honestly, if you people would just open your eyes." Grimalkin sounded irritated as he appeared at their feet.

Puck sighed and rolled his eyes, breaking away from Ally reluctantly. "Wonderful. Shall we go then?" Without waiting for answers he pulled the door open with a jerk. Bright light poured out, and Ally recognized the smell of fresh coffee and baked snacks. The coffee shop. Puck turned to her with a grin and held out a hand, which she took happily. Together, they followed the cat through the door. All Ally had to do was blink and the scenery changed to the familiar place she loved. They were in the alleyway, so no one on the sidewalks or streets saw them, and it looked as if they had come straight through the wall. The door closed, sealing off the Nevernever to them for the time being.

"This trod will not open again to us; I hope you know another one nearby, Goodfellow. I loathe having to do everything for you two." Grim stated matter-of-factly, licking a paw.

Puck snorted and shook his head, heading out of the alleyway with Ally in tow, "Yeah, cuz you're the one who fought off all of this redcaps, fur ball."

"You're attitude is most unattractive. Perhaps I should claw out your tongue and do everyone a service."

"Sure, cat, after you charged them for it." At that, Grimalkin sneezed a laugh, and Ally couldn't help but smile. At some point during their trek back to Ally's apartment, she intertwined her fingers with Pucks, pressing her shoulder against his and smiling down at the ground, loving how it felt. He squeezed her hand and bumped her shoulder back with a playful grin. His thumb stroked the back of her hand.

She wondered when this had happened, these feelings they had developed for each other over time. She hadn't even noticed herself falling until the night he had kissed her. And now they had no trouble, save for a few awkward moments, touching each other casually like this. Sharing short glances and quick kisses seemed natural. Like breathing. Subconscious and easy. How hadn't she noticed before? It seemed so clear now.

"Oh how sweet."

They stopped dead in their tracks. They were in the middle of the park, exactly halfway to Ally's building. She new that voice, and the sound of it sent unpleasant shivers down her spine. Every nerve stood at attention.

Puck's mouth quirked up at the corner, and a predatory leer glinted in his eyes even though he wasn't looking directly at the person who had spoken. Grimalkin was gone. "Ash." He spoke casually, too casually. "So nice of you to drop by. I was just thinking of you."

They turned to see the prince standing still as a mountain; tall and immovable. Eyes like frozen glaciers stared directly at the summer faerie. "So glad I haven't been forgotten," the sarcasm dripped like poison of the sharp edges of his words. His eyes slid down to their intertwined hands, the only thing about him that moved, and they were instantly filled with disgust. "An eye for an eye." He murmured, almost to himself.

Puck dropped Ally's hands and stepped in front of her, his eyes burning like a flame whipping dangerously in a wind storm, "You won't touch her." His voice was hard, sharp. Ally suddenly knew he would protect her with everything, even if it killed him. That terrified her. She drew her dagger slowly, stuffing her hand in her jacket pocket so it was there when she needed it.

(Father?) she called out in her mind tentatively. She had no clue how this worked, she had only done it once and didn't know if it would work a second time. What if she wasn't the one who could initiate it? What if only her father could do such a thing? How could she help as only a clumsy teenage girl infatuated with an ages old faerie jester?

(Do not worry, my daughter. I will be here for as long as you need me.) he replied on cue. (Although I would not advise jumping into this fight unless absolutely needed. This prince and Goodfellow go back a long way. Prince Ash of the winter court is far more powerful than even I.)

Great. She had figured as much, but still. She worried for Puck.

"When you cost me my love? When you had her killed because of your ignorance? Your blind disregard for a situation that was bigger than even all three of us? Tell me why I shouldn't have the right to ruin her right in front of you!" Ash was shouting, but Ally had stopped listening. Puck had...killed someone? Ash's love? Had they been friends before? The way Ash was talking...Ally couldn't make sense of any other scenario than that one. There had been three, and Puck had somehow caused the death of one. A girl. Like Ally. That was how Ash had made it sound, anyway. Ally was terrified and confused. Was Puck really who she thought he was.

"Dammit Ash you know I never meant for any of that to happen! I regret that moment every day of my life!" Puck's voice dropped then, sounding pained and regretful, "You may have lost Ari that day, but I lost the both of you. I can never take that back."

"No. You can't." Ash drew his sword, speaking so quietly that the screech of the sheath almost drowned him out, "But I can make it right. For Ariella. For me." He lunged, but Puck was ready and he dodged just in time. His eyes locked onto Ally, and he smiled in a way that made her blood freeze. He was at her with the grace of a wolf, swinging his sword skillfully. She heard Puck shout to her, but all she didn't hear what he said.

Move, move, move! She screamed in her head, and without another thought she bent backwards in a way she had only seen in the Matrix. The sword swung so close that she could feel the frigid air wafting off of it. Puck's leg swung over her from behind, and she popped up behind it in time to see it strike Ash across the chest, sending him flying back.

"Are you alright?" He asked her hurriedly. She nodded numbly, too shocked with him to say anything. A quick kiss to her forehead and he was off again, rushing at Ash with daggers drawn. He spun, lashing out with a dagger, but Ash dodged narrowly, only getting a slight scratch to the cheek.

"Human! Up here! Do not cause Goodfellow a distraction!" Grimalkin's voice floated down in a harsh whisper from none other than Ally's favorite tree. She looked upward to see Grim perched on a fork in the branches, his fur standing on end. In another situation it would have been comical. She stepped onto the table that was still positioned near the trunk and pulled herself into the tree, partly concealed by leaves. It was enough to effectively hide her and let her watch at the same time.

Ally was enraptured and horrified by the fight that ensued below; Ash moving with the calculated, deadly grace of a snake and Puck with his strong, effective attacks that looked as if they were created to negate the Ice Prince's advances. They looked as if this was natural to them, and it made Ally wonder at the relationship they had had before all of this animosity and bad blood. It made her sort of sad to think about it. They must have been close, she decided, because Puck's relationships with people were always so. Close and unique. There was absolutely no way to tell who had the upper hand, and Ally wasn't sure that either of them did. It seemed the only way one would be able to defeat the other was if there was a surprise attack or one of them was injured severely.

Ash projected dozens of ice daggers towards Puck and they punctured him like a pin cushion. Ally felt every part of herself break, her spirit, her soul, her heart, everything. But then Puck disappeared and an unfortunate log took his place. Slowly she managed to put herself back together again, relief acting as the glue that stuck it all in place. He was okay. At least for now. She could still hope. Beside her, Grimalkin watched her with mild interest.

"You care for him quite a bit considering you barely know him." He said to her, not accusingly but more in his matter-of-fact tone he often used.

"I know enough," she said, though after the things that Ash said she wasn't sure if it was true.

Grimalkin noticed, "You sound unsure, human."

She jerked as if she'd been slapped, "I...I just-"

"Do not know what to make of the things the winter prince spoke of?" She nodded miserably. "We'll that is understandable."

"Do you know anything about it?"

"Hm, indeed I do, human. But realize that there are some things even I will not share." Well. He said that as if it was a surprise.

"I understand." She murmured, turning back to the fight. They both looked as if they were tiring, and sweat shone on their brows, dripping down their faces in thin streams. Ash was surrounded by about four Pucks, and a few of them threw little balls of fur at him. Two exploded into badgers, and one a bear. Snarls rose up in volume, and they all attacked at once. Ash swung and cut a badger from the air, in the same motion decapitating the bear. The last badger latched onto his free arm, tearing at the fabric and skin with its teeth and claws. Blood spurted from the wound as he tried to shake it off. Ally studied Puck, who held his side in pain, blood soaking his hoodie. His face was twisted in agony, and Ally was having a difficult time just sitting there. After a while of watching Ash struggle with the rabid animal, he found himself unable to keep up the clones, and one by one they disappeared. He dropped to his knees weakly, and his breath came out in puffs. Grim pinned his ears back and hissed at this. Ash finally was able to slice the badger off of his arm, and it fell to the ground as broken twigs. He grinned menacingly down at Puck and pushed the point of his sword under his chin. Puck hissed at the cold and his eyes squeezed shut painfully.

"No!" Ally screamed at the top of her lungs and leapt from the tree onto the table top. Ash seemed confused and he turned to find the girl rushing at him. He chuckled darkly and kicked her back so that she hit the table's edge hard. She cried out and Puck called to her in a voice that was hardly his anymore, hoarse and weak. Ash slowly stepped to her, closing a freezing hand around her throat and lifting her from the ground. He brought her face close to his, so their bodies almost touched, and whispered harshly.

"This is for Ari, little bitch." He raised his sword, but stopped short, his eyes widening and blood dribbling from the corner of his mouth. They both looked down to find Ally's dagger sticking out from his ribs. She grinned at him, malice in her words as she whispered.

"And that was for Robin Goodfellow."

Ash dropped her to the ground, staggering back in shock. "This isn't over little wench." He said, "I'll find you and kill you both." Ally choked on the air she sucked into her lungs gratefully. She coughed and hacked as Ash staggered away to the trees on the far end of the park, where she had first seen him. Puck and Grimalkin hurried to her side.

"I'm fine. I'm fine," she murmured and Puck swiped her up in a big hug. She let him, closing her eyes and pressing her nose to his shoulder, running fingers through his hair. "Let's go home. We need to clean you up." She heard him chuckle and felt him kiss the spot below her ear.

"Ay." He murmured in amused agreement. They stood shakily, Puck slinging an arm around her shoulders but denying it was because he needed the support. She rolled her eyes and led the faerie cat and faerie trickster to her home. Hopefully Gretchen and Rory could handle a few extra visitors.

**Oh look at that, my baby being all grown up and protecting her man :,). They grow up so fast. Sorry Ash, you know I love you, but your time is over. Your bro-bro needs some spotlight, too, cuz…you know him. Woo I really liked this one. Writing it, too, but how it turned out was just amazing to me. I don't know, just my opinion. I'm rarely ever happy with my work, leave me be xDD. **

**Queenie: IS THIS SOON ENOUGH?! XDD Sorry I wanted to try all caps, too. Don't hunt me down, I shudder at the thought of what the Queen of Air and Darkness would do to me if I upset her xD. I knew you would notice the implications of that little scene xD. Just thought I'd put it in there ;D. Thanks again :D you're awesome~! Much love~~**

**Daydreamer: oh em gee a hot chapter yessy yes yes xDDD. Maybe sometime in the near future I'll try to fit it in ;D. Thanks so much, I'm glad you liked that chappy ^_^. Stay Awesome~!**

**Livea: Oh I wouldn't take the girl away from Puck now, don't worry xD. I'm not **_**that **_**horrible. Thanks for reading :D I totally agree, Puck is amazing!**

**Ninja princess LW: Why thank you :D I try to change it up as much as I can~! Thanks so much for staying with the story, you're amazing ^_^.**

**Alex Grimm: I agree, I need to get off my ass and write more xD. Hopefully this was up quick enough for you. I'm glad you like it so far :D. Thanks a bunch.**

**xX Blood-Bond Xx: No prob. Thanks for sticking with me thus far, even though I'm so slow with the updates xD. Stay golden~! :D**


	13. Home is Where the Tension is

**Heyyyy y'aalll, heyyy y'aaaall. Sorry, Outkast stuck in my head xDD. What is this? Three updates in two days? OH WHAT A BAUSS! xDD Sometimes I'm so good I scare myself. Well, here you are, you're hot chapter. Kind of. Shhhh. Naughty naughty. Well…an awkward talk, serious talk, and then some hotness. Read and be merry~! **

**Home is Where the Tension is.**

No one payed attention to the girl practically dragging the bloody faerie down the sidewalk. Not did they notice the grey cat padding behind them, letting them lead the way to their destination. Puck was losing blood at an alarming rate, but somehow he managed to still make jokes. He poked fun at overweight passerby, people with mismatching clothes, anyone he could find. Ally smiled and shook her head at his rude but good natured comments. It only took about twenty-five minutes to get to the building. Without a key, it was a little difficult to get through the second door, but after pressing a few phone numbers on the metal box she finally heard the buzz and click of the door being unlocked. She assisted Puck up the stairs, knowing that at this point the elevator was definitely not an option, and they trudged down the hallway to Ally's door. A rush of excitement flew through Ally. She was home! Finally after everything, she was home. She rapped her knuckles against the wood of the door and waited. Slowly, after minutes of waiting, the door creaked open, and a little face poked out.

"Ally?" Rory's little voice squeaked, "Puck?"

"Hey there squirt, told ya I'd bring her back." Puck grinned weakly at the small child.

Ally's eyes burned and she blinked a few times. "Hey Ror. Sorry I was gone for so long." Rory flung the door wide and stepped aside for them. Grim trotted into the room without a second thought, and Rory watched him in confusion.

"A cat?" He asked his sister, standing still as Ally and Puck stumbled inside.

"A cat." Puck said unenthusiastically.

Ally helped him into a seat at the dinner table, which was littered with take out boxes and dirty dishes. Ally winced at the sight, and Puck made a face. "We wouldn't have made it back without him." She kneeled to Rory's height and scooped him up in a hug which he reciprocated gratefully. "I missed you, bud."

"I missed you, too." He sniffed against her shoulder. Behind them, bare feet slapped the ground in a run. Grimalkin, who sat on the somewhat clean counter that divided the table from the kitchen, sniffed.

"Another one." Ally turned to see Gretchen standing in the entrance to the dining room, mouth wide open as she stared at her faerie sister, bloodied friend, and the talking cat.

"You're back!" Her face broke into a grin and she ran towards Ally at full speed, tackling her in a hug. "You're finally back!" Ally felt tears well up again, and a few dripped off her cheek.

"I'm back." She murmured with a smile, burying her face in her sister's hair. Puck watched with a faint grin on his face.

Rory looked to him, worry creasing his forehead, making him look older and more mature, "What happened?" He asked quietly.

Puck thought for a minute and Gretchen turned to him with the same question in her eyes. "A bad guy came and tried to take your sister away again, but I beat him up." His eyes flickered to Ally's face, "Oh...and Al helped."

Ally rolled her eyes, "more like saved your a-...butt." She corrected herself quickly, eyes dropping to the floor as a embarrassed smile poked through. He chuckled.

Grim eyed them all distantly, before grooming himself like usual, "I would suggest we treat Goodfellow and get some rest if we will be leaving again."

Gretchen and Rory both spun on their sister, "Leaving again?! You can't!" Rory panicked, the little calm boy looking younger in his dismay.

Gretchen looked to be on the verge of tears, and Ally hurried to comfort them both. She kissed their foreheads in turn and whispered, "I know it's scary. Believe me, I know. But there are some things I need to work out before I come back for good, okay? I promise I'll be back soon, but I need to do this." Gretchen held onto her shirt and cried. Rory's lip trembled dangerously, like he was about to start sobbing, but Ally held them both close. "I love you guys. You know that, right?" They nodded somberly.

"Does this haves to do with your ears?" Gretchen asked, the first time they had acknowledged Ally's change in appearance.

Ally smiled sadly, "Yes." She said, "this has to do with my ears."

Behind them, slow and sluggish footsteps entered the kitchen, and Ally's heart beat a little faster. She stood and turned, staring her mother right in the eyes. There were worry lines carved into her once beautiful face, and her chocolate brown hair was tied up in a messy bun. Her eyes were a little yellow, and wrinkles ran shallow along her face. She eyed her eldest daughter in disbelief, blinking as if she thought she was seeing wrong.

"You're home." She murmured, stunned.

"Yeah. And you're sober." Ally bit back angrily.

Her mother cleared her throat, eyes going to Ally's ears as if she had only just noticed. She studied Puck next, then the cat. A sigh broke through, and suddenly she looked very tired, "So you finally figured it out. I suspected you would at some point." She said, sounding regretful. "I should have told you-"

"Damn straight." Ally barked.

Her mother flinched and looked to Puck. "Rallyn told me about you. You must be Robin."

Puck nodded politely, which Ally thought was odd, "I'm sorry for your loss."

Ally's mother gave a laugh that sounded a little like a exhausted sigh, "You look terrible. Lets get you cleaned up." She motioned for him to follow, and Ally helped him up, carefully and gently. He relaxed into her touch and gave her a little encouraging smile. Ally leaned her head on his shoulder as she led him to the bathroom.

Ally's mother ran warm water and soaked a rag, wringing it out thoroughly. Puck removed his hoodie to reveal the huge gash Ash's sword had made. Her mother dabbed at the cut gently, but Puck still winced once in a while.

"Do you have any bandages or wraps?" She asked when it was clean. Ally dug in the pocket of the tattered sweatshirt and pulled out the sack, moving to hand it to her mother.

Puck's eyes widened and he quickly took it, "T-that's all right. I can manage the last part. I've done it loads of times." The two women gave him a strange look and he grinned sheepishly.

"If you're sure," Ally's mother said hesitantly.

"Ay," He muttered, and she left the room to check on her younger children.

Ally crossed her arms. "What was that about?"

"What?" He responded too quickly, he knew it.

"You know what." She sat on the side of the tub, next to Puck seated on the toilet lid.

"Just that...your mom shouldn't see what's in there." He muttered incoherently, hoping to leave it at that.

"What's in there?" She asked, a strange look on her face.

Puck paused. Ally waited. Puck stayed silent. Ally waited some more.

"Con...doms." He wouldn't meet her eyes.

Ally almost fell into the tub, her hand flying back to catch her. Apparently her reflexes had improved. "Dammit Deidre," She cursed with her head in her hands.

"Yeah..."Puck sighed, beginning to wrap himself. She watched him re clean the wound and carefully dress it. He flinched at the pain here and there, but it was done to perfection nonetheless. "Whole roll of 'em, too."

Ally sputtered, "Oh fucking Christ."

Puck smirked at her suggestively, "Well girls usually do come back for more. Why not when I look and fuck like a total sex god."

Ally's sputtering turned into laughter. High, gasping peels of laughter. "You pig," she grinned, leaning forward to rest against him.

He felt her shake, and joined in her laughter. "I speak the truth." He had never heard her laugh like that. True, loud laughter that made your eyes water and stomach ache. He let himself enjoy it. She felt his enjoyment. She felt his happiness. It was like breathing, sensing what he was feeling, and it startled her that she hadn't noticed. Could he feel her emotions like this, too? So vividly. Like a lucid dream.

"Let's get out of here. I'm tired." He murmured against her ear. She nodded and let him lead her out of the door. They headed to her room, closing he door behind them and lying together on the bed. They fell asleep in each other's arms, no awkward feeling stopping them now. It was the best feeling in the world to Ally.

...

She woke with a start, the remnants of a dream clinging to the edges of her mind. Her head rested on a chest, warm with a strong heart beating steadily beneath the surface, thrumming soothingly against her temple. Arms were securing her waist, pulling her against the body's side. Puck snored lightly, his mouth hanging slightly ajar.

Something bothered Ally, though, something she couldn't quite recall. Something about a girl, a dead girl. And Ash. And Puck. Something important.

Ariella.

Ally gasped slightly, wondering how she could've forgotten. She lifted her head from Puck's chest and sat up, staring off into darkness just outside her window. She'd be able to see the stars if there wasn't a lamp post right outside. She wondered if it had happened how Ash had said it. He couldn't have been that angry for nothing. But this was Puck. She may not have known all about him, but she knew that if he had truly cared for the girl he wouldn't have done something like that. Absently she noted that the snoring had stopped, and when she looked down at him, glowing green eyes stared back.

"What is it, Sketch?" He murmured sleepily. Sketch? Really? Well then.

She pouted at him for the new nickname. What was wrong with her real one? "You totally went in there again." He grinned and she whacked his arm playfully. "Jerk." At least he wasn't calling her 'sketchy'.

"What's bothering you, Al? You're usually sawing logs all through the night."

She gave him a dirty look but sobered quickly. Drawing her knees up to her chest, she rested her chin on them. "I just...can't stop thinking about what Ash said. About that girl."

Puck seemed to freeze completely, not even breathing. He didn't look at her, he was far away, his eyes distant. Finally he sighed and said, "I suppose you deserve to know the truth about it." There was pain. Loads of it. Ally felt it all as if it was her own. She waited, locking eyes with him. "A long time ago, before you were even born, before your mom was even born, I bet, Ash and I were friends. Best friends, though he wouldn't admit it even then. We would meet in the wyldwood to hunt and cause trouble just to see if we could escape it alive. We were like brothers. And then he met Ari, and he was completely head over heels for the girl. When she found out that I was Ash's friend, instead of turning us in she joined our little group.

"We stayed that way for a long time, completely inseparable. It didn't bother us that we were probably breaking about six different laws, it was friendship. It was more important than that." He paused as if he had tasted something sour, face twisted in pain like it hurt to think back. It probably did, more than Ally could imagine. "We were hunting when it happened. A golden fox was what we had set our sights on, but it ran straight into a Wyvern's den. I wanted to follow it, because I thought we could take it, of course. Ari didn't want to, she wasn't about to go in there. Ash said that if she didn't go that he wouldn't either. I was joking about how he'd softened after being with Ari so long, trying to annoy them so they'd go just to shut me up. Eventually I decided I was going whether they did or not, and of course they weren't going to leave me to my own devices. So all three of us headed in. It was fine at first, we were just searching for the fox. We were gonna get it and get out

"The thing caught us by surprise. It blocked the exit so we couldn't leave and we knew we needed to fight. It took a while, but we cut it down, and it just lay there dying. We thought we had won and we turned our backs to celebrate. But then it whipped its tail once and hit Ari square in the back. It died right afterwards, but it took Ari with it. Ash swore to kill me after that, and we were never that close again. He blames me for what happened, and he isn't the only one."

Ally sat in silence, watching the faerie boy swallow dryly and stare at the sheets in front of him, unwilling to meet her gaze. She wanted to touch him then, but didn't know what to make of what he'd told her. He blamed himself for what happened, but it was an accident. No one had meant for that to happen. Slowly, she let her finger tips graze his bare arm. She noticed that he had removed the bandages on his shoulder, and she touched where the wound had been, now just a scar. He watched her face, eyes searching. Slowly she lowered herself on top of him as she had been before, facing his head so the could watch each other.

She wanted to say something, but "it's not your fault" seemed so useless and futile. He would think so anyway. Just trivial words that would do nothing to help him. So she reached behind his neck and tilted his head towards her instead, stretching her neck to meet his lips. He kissed her slowly, deeply; his hands roamed her back. Her shirt rode up and his fingers slid under the hem, brushing over the tight skin of her stomach and up to caress her ribs. Her fingers slid over his chest and up his neck into his hair. He nipped and sucked at her bottom lip, and she smiled into his mouth, loving his pull. His thumbs brushed over her hip bones and she shivered, letting her lips part enough for his tongue, which slid in as soon as granted entrance. He smirked and slowly switched positions, propping himself above her as she lay on her back. Never once did they break the kiss, tongues wrestling and dancing with each other. She reached up and fisted her hands in his hair, her fingers massaging his scalp a bit. His knee slid between her legs and she wrapped her arms around his neck, lifting her top half off the bed. He groaned as she pressed against him, and his lips moved to her neck. He bit and sucked the skin sliding down to suck on a collar bone. She gasped and did her best to get closer, if possible. She pressed her mouth to the base of his neck, moaning into it and breathing in his scent.

His hands stayed under her shirt; rubbing into her sides, moving slightly higher and then lower. Thumbs slid under the waistline of her jeans to press against her hip bones again, and his lips returned to hers, hard and insistent. His kisses were hungry and passionate, and she met him with the same. She didn't know how long they stayed intertwined like that, but it felt too amazing for words. She never wanted to let go.

**So how was that? To your liking I would hope~! I enjoyed writing it, for sure xD. Oh Gretch and Ror are so fucking adorable I just can't :D. So, what'cha think? Did I do good? ;D Lemme know, loves. **

**Queenie: "I'll get you my pretty, and your little dog, too!" I. Died. Like…seven times over. xDD That was the most wonderful thing ever. Ash is totally like that xD. What a witch. I'm not sure the conversation was **_**completely **_**awkward, but I hope it was to your liking anyway xD. Here's your wonderful update, two chaps in one day for you. xD Thanks~!**

**Bitterglass: :,) oh I don't mind hearing it, don't worry xD. Say it as much as you want xDD. Thanks so much :DD.**


	14. Family Ties

**Hey everybody~! (Hi Doctor Nick!) Kidding. But you know, I think you've all waited long enough, so here's your glorious next chapter. I can explain the wait by saying my Microsoft word has conveniently decided to stop working, so now I must use the eternally less efficient WordPad. It's alright, I've done it before, and at least I can still write and upload. I worked really hard on this, and hopefully it's longer than most, because you all waited so long. It might have errors here and there, but I think that's a small price to pay for actually being able to update. So here it is, the next chapter.**

**Family Ties**

She woke slowly and peacefully. There were birds chirping just outside her window, and Ally wondered if it all had been a dream. Maybe none of that had happened and she had just imagined being stolen by a winter prince and violated by his brother. Maybe it had only been a vision, being saved by Puck and traipsing through Faerie to get back home. She didn't really know wether that would be a good or bad thing. Her eyes peeled open and she saw a muscled back obstructing her vision. She was sore, she realised, in the most uncomfortable places. Yawning, she turned onto her other side and-almost choking-saw her clothes in a pile on the floor. Her cheeks heated like she had a sun under her skin. _Holy. Mother. Shit._ She thought to herself, crawling out of bed and scuttling across the floor to slide on her underwear. _Shit, shit, shit._ She stood and ran to her closet, pulling out a random change of clothes and hurrying into the bathroom down the hall.

For a while, all she did was stare at her reflection. Her hair was down and messy, spikes sticking up every direction. Her cheeks were flushed and eyes were wild. She was..._glowing_. She watched a wide grin stretch across her face, excitement bouncing around inside of her. There was no regret, as she had so often worried there would be-only the feeling of being new. Reborn. She hopped into the shower, turning the water on and standing motionless under the stream for a long time. She closed her eyes and just stood there, not thinking about anything but the night before. She blew out a satisfied breath and went to work washing her hair and body. Outside she heard shuffling feet and tired conversation and figured that her mother or siblings were rising. She finished quickly, hoping she hadn't taken up all of the hot water. She smelled fruity and fresh, so much so that even she could tell. She dried her hair and pulled on a tight fitting black tank top, zipping up a purple hoodie with white trim and strings over it. Her jeans were skinny and dark, and black ankle socks adorned her feet. It felt _amazing _to be in her own simple clothes again, though she had loved the ones Puck had glamoured for her; it was as if she had regained a part of herself. Her old self.

She stepped into the hall and immediately detected the aroma of pancake batter. Her mother. It was an odd feeling to not have to cook for everyone for once. She didn't know what brought about this change in her mom, but she couldn't say that she disliked it.

Before heading to the kitchen, though, she went back down the hall and slowly opened the door to her room. She found Puck sitting on the edge of her bed, pants on but still bare chested and yawning like he was trying to suck the whole contents of her room into himself. She smirked and leaned against the wall, "Hey sleepy-head." She murmured.

He gave a start like he hadn't noticed her, but a smile lit up his features a second later, "Hey." He held out a hand and she padded over to him, taking it. He pulled her back onto him, lying back slowly. She rested her chin on his chest and smiled up at him as he craned his neck to kiss her forehead.

"What did I tell you? Look _and _fuck like a sex god."

Ally pinched his arm hard and laughed as he winced slightly. "How do you get that ego through the door?"

"My pants usually restrain it enough." He whispered right next to her ear, and she snickered before rising, pulling him up with her.

"Let's go," She told him, "I think mom is making pancakes." He nodded and with another yawn he pulled his shirt on. It looked brand new, despite having rips and blood all over it before. She took his hand and together they made their slow way to the kitchen. Grim was perched on the counter again, lapping up milk from a saucer that Ally's mother must have provided. Ally's mom was mixing pancake batter in a large silver bowl, a whole plate of them already done beside the stove. Puck grabbed four and tossed two to Ally, who smiled gratefully and bit into the warm, fluffy cake.

Grimalkin finished his milk and licked one of his paws, looking at Ally expectantly, "I believe you have questions you want answered, human." He said to her, and suddenly Ally remembered what she had come here for. Her mother turned around, almost as if she knew what was coming. Like she could sense the torrent of questions on the tip of her daughter's tongue.

Ally eyed her carefully before she spoke. She chose her words carefully, unsure of how to go about this. "My father..." She trailed off, biting her lip, "I couldn't ask him, obviously, so I came to see if you knew...did he seal my magic? Let me live so long without knowing what I was?"

Her mother watched her sadly, as if she had known this day would come but hoped that it wouldn't. "No. That was _me_."

Puck almost choked on his pancakes, "Humans can't seal a Fey's magic." He said sounding baffled.

She gave a small laugh, "What I meant was that I had her magic sealed. I arranged it with someone that was close to Rallyn. His fey sister, and Ally's aunt. I don't know where she is now, but that's who did it for me."

"My aunt did this to me? And who is that?" Ally questioned with a raised eyebrow.

"Clover Freewood of the summer court." Her mother answered, turning to flip the pancakes on the stove, "That's all I know of her, anymore. We were never too close, and I only met her a few times when Rallyn would sneak me into the Nevernever."

"So you don't know where we could find her?" Ally asked insistently. Her mother shook her head.

"You've done just fine without your magic so far. I see nothing wrong with just staying here; your brother and sister miss you."

Puck eyed them both quietly, watching Ally for her reaction. She stayed calm, "So _now _you want a say in my life, huh?" She looked to the floor and gave a quiet, mirthless laugh, "I, for one, think I deserve to know the _full _truth about myself. Maybe I could have kept pretending before, but it isn't like I can walk around looking like I do and not raise some eyebrows. I know what I am now, and I can't even do anything with that. I feel violated."

Puck seemed sympathetic, and put a hand on her shoulder reassuringly, "She's right and you know it." He said softly, not unkindly, "She deserves to be able to be herself. Her whole self. She can't do that without her magic. That's a huge part of being fey. And I'm here to teach her; Grim, too, though _he _probably won't admit it." He met Ally's mother's eyes, stating simply, "She can see the world around her for what it really is, now; that means _They'll _start noticing her, too. She needs to be able to protect herself with more than charms and clovers."

She looked at the three of them. Her faerie daughter and the faerie trickster and cat she had befriended. She watched them and sighed, for she knew how this played out. "Alright, _go_ then. But be _careful_, you hear me? You are my _daughter _and I don't want you getting hurt. This is dangerous business, and you're lucky to have ones that know what they're doing. Stay safe and then come home." Her eyes were serious and caring, something Ally was so unused to that it startled her a bit. She could only nod.

Puck looked happy with himself, being the one who finally persuaded the woman, and nodded to her in a silent promise. He would keep the girl safe and then he would bring her home. What would happen after that...well it was hard to say. They only knew that they wanted to stay together no matter what. "We'd better get prepared, then."

Ally looked up at him with a small smile of appreciation and nodded again, "Yeah, let's go." She led him to her room.

"Is there anything you want to take? Anything that might be important?" Puck asked her absently eyeing the jewelry strewn about her nightstand. So that's what his head had hit last night. He rubbed the spot tenderly, frowning a bit when he smelled something less than pleasant.

"I'm not sure, how long do you think this will take?" She asked as he lifted a necklace by its chain, staring at it as if its charm was a writhing snake.

"Not sure, could take days. Even weeks. Wear this." He tossed the necklace to her quickly as if he was glad to be rid of it. Ally caught it in confusion and glanced at the jewelry. A ring was hanging from the chain, a dull grey with Celtic designs carved into it.

She looked up at him, "Why?" She asked.

"It's iron, why else?" He smirked and cocked his head to the side as if the answer was obvious. Actually, it kind of was. "It won't completely protect you. But it will keep most fey at bay, at least for a while."

"Right," she nodded, understanding. She moved to the side of the bed, where her clothes still lay, and dug around for her dagger, which had apparently slid under the bed at one point. She stuffed it into the waistline of her jeans and stood up quickly. "I think that's it."

Puck nodded, "If you're sure. We aren't coming back just because you forgot your toothbrush, you know."

She stuck out her tongue at him and headed for the door. Before she opened it, though, she felt a hand on her wrist, gently pulling her back into Puck's chest. She looked up at him with a contented smile, "What is it?"

He grinned down at her and rested his forehead against hers, "Nothing. I just...guess I probably...might possibly...love you...and stuff."

Ally felt her heart leap into her throat, and she stopped breathing for a while. Her cheeks warmed considerably and she squeezed her eyes shut and pressed her face into his chest. "_Oh you big mush-ball_!" She murmured, words muffled and distorted by his hoodie. "I love you and stuff, too." He chuckled and kissed the top of her head.

"You head out, I'm gonna take a quick shower. I feel nasty." He winked and planted on more kiss on her cheek before heading to the bathroom. She smiled to herself, just standing there with her finger tips to her cheek for a while. He loved her. _Loved her_! L-O-V-E-D her! She felt like bouncing off the walls and twirling and laughing out loud, but she settled for a quick fist pump before heading out to the kitchen, where her brother and sister sat at the table eating their breakfast cheerfully.

"Morning you two!" She exclaimed kissing each on the top of their heads.

Gretchen grinned her toothy little smile. "Morning Ally."

"Morning," Rory got up to hug her tightly.

Slowly, Ally looked between the two, who looked happy enough. She knew they were bummed she was leaving though, and she felt terrible for it. "I'll miss you guys, you know." She said quietly, "How about you guys think up something to do while I'm gone, and then when I get back we can do it."

Rory lightened up a little at this idea, "Whatever we want?!"

"_Whatever _you want." Ally confirmed with a loving smile.

Her mother stood in the kitchen watching them distantly. Ally locked eyes with her, unmoving and calm as a light breeze. Her face betrayed nothing, not the confusion of why her mother chose now to sober up and take care of her kids, not the relief that at least her brother and sister would be cared for, not the anger that her mom had left her when she had needed her most. She showed nothing to this stranger of a woman that stood next to a pile of steaming pancakes in her pajamas, looking slightly tidier than she had ever looked since she started drugs. "Can I talk to you privately, Ally?" She asked finally in a smooth monotone.

Ally stood and silently walked out to the living room, her one and only sign that she was willing to talk if her mother would follow. She leaned against the wall of the large room, and her mother slowly padded in after her. "What is it?" Ally asked quietly, careful not to speak loud enough for her siblings to hear in the next room.

"I see how you are with that boy," her mother started, sounding unsure at first, "I worry about it. Are you sure you know what you're doing?"

"Like mother like daughter, right? Besides he has a name. _Puck_. And I know what I'm doing just as much as the next girl. I don't see why _you _care all of a sudden."

"Because I am your _mother_," the woman hissed, sounding like an actual authority figure for the first time in a while, "And as your mother I am worried about what could happen. He isn't a regular boy you meet everyday; he is a _faerie_, ancient and powerful as they come. His reputation does nothing to console me. Faeries don't love like mortals do. I'm not sure they do at all!"

"Dad was a faerie," Ally murmured dangerously, "And Puck wouldn't hurt me. I've known him long enough to trust in that."

"Your father was only half fey, and he was a fling. A terrible choice I made because I was unhappy. The only good thing that came out of it was _you_! Full fey are deceitful, it is what they do. You probably know next to nothing about him!"

Ally pushed off the wall angrily and glared daggers at her mother before spitting out, "You _hardly _have a right to call yourself my mother anymore, let alone give me relationship advice. I'll make decisions for _myself_. After all, I've been doing it for a couple of eight year olds long enough!" With that she stormed off into the one place she could calm her raging temper.

Her studio was as she'd left it; messy, but hers. Puck's picture lay on her desk on top of everything and she lifted it lightly in her fingers, as if one touch would rip and soil it. He stared up at her with such intensity that she could almost believe it was actually him. _God_, it seemed so long ago that she'd drawn this; like a dream that hadn't really happened. Looking around she saw familiar pictures she had sketched. She hadn't even thought of picking up a pencil I the longest time; it made her feel like a completely different person. And she guessed she was, after everything. She let the paper drift down from her fingers and onto the desktop again, flipping through landscapes and critters and still lifes with a distant kind of sadness.

"It's been a while, hasn't it." Puck's voice was uncharacteristically quiet as he leaned against the doorframe to the room. Ally turned and smiled a small smile. He had changed, now wearing a white shirt, brown strings lacing together the neck,and sleeves pushed up to his elbows. His pants were brown trousers and tucked into his leather boots again. His hair looked darker now that it was damp, almost like blood. He stepped up to her and she ran her fingers through it, indulging in the silky feeling. Her fingers ran over a bump and she winced along with him.

"What happened here?" She questioned with a frown.

He gave her his best mischievous smirk and winked a green eye, "You were a little rough on me. Lets make sure there are no hard objects around next time. Besides...the _obvious_."

Ally squeaked in embarrassment and slapped his arm, unable to suppress the smile curling at he corners of her lips, "_My god _do you ever stop? Is there an off button I'm not aware of?"

"You were most _definitely _not asking me to stop last nigh-" She shut him up with a quick peck on the lips. He grinned and obliged her wish for silence..._for once_.

She waited a minute, just smiling up at him absently. He gave her a questioning look and cocked his head to the side. "Isn't that refreshing. I almost forgot how great the quiet could be." He chuckled and kissed her, slowly and deeply. His hands gripped her hips and his head tilted just a bit. She reached up to slide her hands against his cheeks and neck, brushing her fingertips against his skin. He pulled her against him, but at that moment someone cleared their throat and they had to break apart. For a frustrating moment, Ally thought it was her mother. Grimalkin sat in the doorway instead, eyeing them casually, as if he wasn't interrupting a tonsil tennis match.

"I would suggest we get moving, human. The faster we leave the more quickly I can return to my own life and stop babysitting the two of you." He said lazily. Ally nodded and turned to Puck.

"You ready?" She asked with a grin.

"To go back home? Do you even have to ask?" He smirked and held out a hand, "Shall we?" Ally nodded and took it.

...

They said goodbye quickly. Ally didn't make much eye contact with her mother at all. A part of herself kept telling her that the woman had only been trying to help. Trying to make up for not being there before. But she quickly shook herself; there was no way Ally was about to forgive her just because she suddenly started caring. She busied herself worrying over the kids, who were extremely reluctant to let her go again. Puck literally had to glamour them so that they would be confused enough to allow them to leave. Grim seemed endlessly annoyed by the trouble, but kept his comments to a minimum, seeming to realise how difficult this was for Ally in the first place. Eventually they were out the door, and Ally was left with only slight guilt of not allowing herself to give her mother a proper goodbye.

Puck kept an eye on her but didn't say anything, sensing that she didn't feel like discussing it. They just passed the mortals on the sidewalk unnoticed, not speaking or joking like they usually would have been.

Ally looked to Puck curiously, focusing her mind on other things. "So where's the trod?"

"A ways out from here," he said. "It's in the forest at the park. You know the one. Won't be too difficult to find." She nodded.

"Where does that lead?"

"Into deeper parts of the wyldwood. I think I know someone who might have an idea where your Aunt is."

"Thankfully Goodfellow will contribute for once." Grimalkin's voice was only slightly mocking.

"You wanna fight, kitty?" Puck leered at him.

Grim sniffed and flicked his tail, "Please." He said, "Must you ask such _ridiculous _questions?"

Ally sighed and shook her head, "You're actually picking a fight with a cat. _Christ_..."

Puck grinned at her playfully, bumping her shoulder with his, "You're the one who fell for me, Sketch."

"I know," she murmured, trying to sound distressed, "I suppose I have no one to blame but myself. They tried to warn me, but I wouldn't listen and now I must bear the consequences in utter silence."

Puck gave a snort, pouting at her like a child, "Hey, what's _that _supposed to mean?" Ally was silent as they crossed the street to the park, a small triumphant smile on her face. "I'm a bit offended. I feel like I've been _lied _to this whole time."

She patted his cheek comfortingly, "Hey. At least you're pretty to look at." Grimalkin went into a slight sneezing fit as Puck just gaped in mock horror.

"I suppose we can return the rest of the sack to Deidre." He said quietly, "Seems like we _won't _be needing any more of that." He eyed her with a little smirk and she hugged his arm.

"I'm sorry I'll never do it again." She said in a rush. Puck laughed loudly and slid his arm free to put it around her waist. They all walked quickly over the grass of the park, as it subconsciously they were all remembering the same thing. Ally kept envisioning Puck kneeling, bloody and beaten, at Ash's feet, eyes closed as he prepared for the inevitable. It made her shiver, and it didn't help that she was headed towards the place she had first spotted him. Puck's arm tightened around her, and her breath calmed a bit, as did her racing heart.

As the dark branches of the trees closed around them, Ally clutched the back of Puck's shirt like a life line. She heard the chirping of birds, but in here they sounded menacing and taunting. She was careful not to trip on branches and roots that rose from the ground. She did her best to ignore the glowing eyes that watched with interest as they trotted through the dark forest. After a while, they came to a small river, murky water making it impossible to see the bottom, or what lurked inside. It blocked their path for as far as she could see; there was no way around.

"I didn't know there was a river here," she murmured curiously. "It doesn't go beyond the trees, otherwise it would run right through the roads."

"That, human, is because this forest is not entirely a mortal forest." Grimalkin said in a low voice that gave Ally the shivers, "This is Between."

"And this trod isn't exactly a door," Puck added, "It's the river. The river is the border from Faerie to mortal."

"So we have to jump over it?" Ally asked incredulously.

"Pretty much," Puck grinned cheerfully, "But you _really _don't wanna fall in."

"Why not?"

"Nixies and kelpies are only a few of the creatures that would instantly pull you to your death. This river is endlessly deep; fall in and you'll likely never be seen again. They have already noticed our presence here. They wait just beneath the surface." Grimalkin replied sitting away from the edge and scratching an ear.

"Don't worry, I'm right here," Puck winked with a small, unworried smile. Nothing ever seemed to touch him. Did he _ever _worry? Ally didn't think so.

"Sure. Of course..." Ally had never really learned to swim. She knew how to float, of course, and how to clumsily flail from one place to another, but there was definitely the danger of her drowning whenever she entered the water. No way would she say that, though. She didn't want to bear the embarrassment.

"I'll go first," Puck was saying. He stepped up and gave a glance back at Ally, "You can follow afterwards. Just jump to me and I'll catch you. _Calm down_, you won't fall in." Ally shuddered and nodded. She watched as Puck leapt, flying like a bird as he sailed inches over the water. He landed with a grunt on the other side, jogging forward a bit to lose momentum. Grimalkin followed, coiling his muscles together and springing over the border like a bullet. Ally breathed deep and stepped up. Puck was waiting, arms outstretched to her patiently.

"It's all right," he called with a smirk that reassured her. She nodded and jumped, and for a second it looked like she was going to make it. At the last moment possible, Grimalkin hissed loudly as a webbed hand shot out of the water and snatched Ally's ankle in a watery grasp. She shrieked as she fell short and splashed into the water. Puck shouted in surprise and only just snatched up her wrist. He pulled with all his strength against whatever had grabbed her, until Ally felt like she would be ripped right in two. She grasped onto his arm with both hands and tried to kick the thing away.

"_Dammit_, nixie," Puck snarled as he leaned back, putting all of his weight into his pull. Ally screamed as she felt nails tear into her leg, trying to pull her to her watery grave. Puck gave one last yank and Ally was free. They went tumbling backwards onto the grass and Ally trembled in his arms. She was very close to sobbing, but she settled for hyperventilating instead. Puck pulled her close and kissed her forehead, murmuring that she was okay and that everything was alright. She shivered against his chest and gave a little strangled noise, wrapping her arms around his neck and burying her face into it. He was warm, and it chased away the cold bite of the water that soaked her clothes and hair.

He shivered along with her when her cold face touched his skin, and she heard him chuckle, "It's fine now, Ally, I have you. What did I tell you?" He asked with a grin as he stared into her frightened eyes, "I'm not gonna let anything hurt you."

She nodded, "Noted." She stuttered.

He stood slowly, soaked through from hugging her to him, and helped her to her feet. She noticed how different it looked here, now that they had crossed the border. It was still dark, but a little sun poked through a little, sending glittering lights over the dancing vegetation. Wild flowers scattered around the clearing, and they seemed to react to their presence, bowing and swaying in a dizzy dance. Vibrant colors left Ally slightly mesmerized. Puck grinned at her and squeezed her hand happily.

"Are you ready, human? It is time to move on," Grimalkin stared at her intently, sitting up straight and still, his tail the only thing moving as it swayed behind him in time with the flowers.

Ally nodded, determined eyes meeting his, "I suppose it is. Let's get moving."

**Hey, as always, here are my aknowledgements. You all are so wonderful, I don't know what I would do without you guys xD. You complete me~!**

**Guest- Oh I don't know what I would do if I had blood on my hands. Don't die~~ Dx **

**Queenie- OOOOOOOHHHHH I M SU ANGRY! No...I'm not I promise xD I was kidding. Because that's what I do...I kid. I know I probably shouldn't have favorites in my own writing but I loved those all, too! Especially the "Puck paused. Ally waited." one. xD Was this implied enough for you ;D? They'll probably do it again later, those sex monkeys...**

**And yeah, the drawing thing I put in there in the first place was for the extra glamour to attract faeries, yes, but also to show later on in the story how much Ally changes and doesn't think about the one thing that used to keep her above ground in the first place. Drawing used to be her safe-haven, what held her down when she felt everything was falling apart, and now she doesn't quite need that anymore, what with Puck and Grim and everything. I thought it would be a nice touch :3 I'm glad you liked it, too. **

**Okay, I guess I should explain the whole Ariella thing where everyone can see it, too. That...was simply because I was borrowing the series to someone else at the time and I totally was winging it with the story. I'm sorry to have upset you with that xD my bad.**

**And seriously, again, I'm not mad, but actually really happy that you put so much thought into your reviews I just...lkglkjflajfl I can't X). You're awesome, stay that way xD. (And omfg don't hurt my baby computer it's already dying Dx) **

**KuraiHanazono- :OOOO you liiiike it~? Yay~! X) I recognize that name from Tumblr, I think :D. Hai there. I'm glad you're reading this :D, and I will sincerely think about that one-shot M rated messiness ^_^ I might actually like to do something like that. I'm glad you like my pairing, and yes it is sad about Meghan. Poor Ash is so sad and angry and tormented and has no one. (Plays Akon's "Mr. Lonley") **

**Alex Grimm- Thanks so much :D. I'm really happy you said that~!**

**xX Blood-Bond Xx- Eheh, sorry I was too quick, there xD. I love writing fight scenes, and I'm glad I did good with this one, thanks so much :D. **

**ninja princess LW- Omfg Really? xD I'm happy about that, thanks a bunch. Yeah, kick-butt heroins make me smile :D xD. Thanks again~!**


	15. Come Along Now, Come Along with me

**EVERYBODY DIES! No...that's a lie, actually, everyone **_**doesn't **_**actually die. Maybe some people do...but that is not the point~! So here we go, I'm amazed I've gotten this far in the story. Usually I can't finish things like these. I think it's because I know so many people are reading it X). You're all awesome, you keep me going. I enjoyed writing this chapter, because I got to be more creative and explore the weirdness of the Wyldwood, where not everything necassarily has to make sense. It was fun~! xD Anywhore...I hope you guys enjoy this.**

Thankfully, the scratches on Ally's leg didn't require bandages, for they had used enough as it was. It had become bearable to walk on after a while of doing so, and now the pain was only a dull throb that she hardly noticed. Puck had jokingly suggested giving the poor damsel in distress a piggy back ride, but she had blew a raspberry at him and continued on indignantly, leaving him to laugh behind her. They had stopped to rest a few times, Grimalkin going off to hunt for himself while Puck and Ally scavenged for mushrooms or a rabbit. Puck taught Ally how to catch one and kill it quickly and painlessly with glamour, though she couldn't practice it didn't bother her as much as she thought it might, watching the creature die. It was quick, as Puck told her it would be, and the little guy hadn't been in any sort of pain, so she figured that was why. At one point, it had started raining, and then he showed her how to fashion a tent with a few twigs, a hankie, and of course some glamour. It amazed Ally how useful it could be, as she had initially figured they only occasionally used it for something other than fighting. Puck had been telling the truth-of course-it was a big part of being fey. Realizing this only made Ally wish for it more. In the meanwhile she started practicing detecting emotions again, and Puck helped this time, shielding his emotions more and more each try and then telling her to find them again. Playfulness, the ever-present mischief, the contentedness of being back in his natural habitat. She could almost physically see them by the time they finished practicing.  
Sometimes Puck would call small animals, like foxes and squirrels, and He and Ally would play with them to pass the time while they waited for food, but never when he was cooking a dead rabbit. He explained how to do it, and Ally decided that was where she would start her training when she regained her magic. She even practiced putting feelers out into the surrounding woods to see what was around them. She felt her father, too, invisible but ever-present. She felt him as if he was still alive, his soul residing nearby if she were to need him. It was comforting; she had never realized him in this way. Grimalkin napped by the fire, and occasionally in Ally's lap, which she found extremely cool. It was difficult to tell how Grimalkin felt about you unless he told you outright, so the fact that he trusted her enough to curl into a furry grey ball in her lap and leave himself completely vulnerable kind of flattered her.  
After settling down for the fifth time that day, Puck flew up above the trees to check the sky. He came back brushing feathers out of his hair and grinning.  
"Alright alright, Ladies and kitties, I think it's about time we turn in for the night." He smirked at Ally and slid an arm around her waist, "Now's the time when the ghouls and ghosts come out to socialize." She rolled her eyes and shook her head.  
"You're terrifying," Sarcasm dripped from her words as she returned his grin.  
Grimalkin stood from his current lounging spot and shook himself briefly, "There is a small cave not far from here where we can rest for the night. No one will bother us there."  
"As appealing as sleeping on the hard ground sounds, Furball, I happen to have a better idea." Puck stretched lazily, yawning like a cat himself.  
Grimalkin spared him a glance over his front paw which he was now washing, "Well then, let us hear it."  
"I have a place not far from here; just a short trek east, in fact. I use it and many others to escape the drama of court every once in a while. No one knows about them but me, and they are scattered quite strategically around the Nevernever and mortal world."  
Ally looked at him, a little surprised and more than a bit impressed. "And I suppose that 'drama' would be Oberon whenever you anger him, right?" She teased.  
"Details, details," he waved a hand and snickered.  
"We'll then, let us not waste any time in getting there, shall we?" Grimalkin sounded slightly annoyed, but only rolled his eyes at them.  
"Yeah, I'm beat," Ally agreed. "Lead the way."  
Puck yawned again and nodded in agreement, "Right this way, then." They followed him east through the trees and bushes. There wasn't a clear trail to it, which Ally figured was one of the things that kept it so well hidden. It was hardly intelligent to travel off of the trail in the Wyldwood. They walked for a few minutes, though Ally couldn't tell exactly how many, and eventually came to a clearing. A beautiful one at that. There was a large pond with water so clear and still you could have mistaken it for glass. Nothing that stirred beneath the surface-an uncountable number of shining multicolored fish-disturbed the motionlessness of the water. Not even the huge waterfall, falling like a running faucet from a wall of blueish-grey rock, rippled the mirror-like water. Wildflowers of every color dotted the short emerald green grass. The whole place was lit up by thousands-maybe millions or billions-of fireflies. They blinked in and out of sight, dancing along with little vibrant piskies that flew on gossamer dragonfly wings. It was breathtaking, and Ally smiled warmly at the sight.  
"Impressive," She murmured to Puck, who had stepped up to stand beside her quietly.  
"I thought it was the perfect place to hang out and lay low. This is probably one of the safer parts of the Wyldwood. This is one of my favorite places and in all the time I've been here I've hardly had to fight anything off. And just in case someone does happen to stumble upon this place, I've hidden my lodging. Can you guess where it is?" He smirked at her from the corner of his eye and waited. She eyed the clearing thoroughly, trying to find a place where he could have created a place to stay hidden.  
She stayed silent for about ten minutes trying to figure it out. Nothing came to her, and she frowned up at him in a silent question. Grimalkin made a small noise of appreciation after a while, "Clever, Goodfellow." He said staring at the steady flow of water from the cliff.  
"No way," Ally muttered to herself, "It's behind that?"  
Puck chuckled and ruffled her hair a bit, "Don't strain yourself there, Sketch."  
"That's really...awesome." She leaned against his arm with a smile, "You really thought of everything, didn't you?"  
He shrugged with a little satisfied grin, "Well..." Ally smiled and shook her head.  
"But how do we get over there?" She asked, biting her lip and praying that they wouldn't have to swim so soon after her close call.  
"Check this out." He smiled and flicked his fingers upwards slightly. The familiar shiver of glamour rushed through the air, and slowly small, flat, round rocks rose in a stepping-stone paths towards the center of the waterfall. He held out a hand for Ally to grab, "It's okay of you fall in this time." He winked playfully. She rolled her eyes and slid her fingers between his. She relished in the warmth of his skin as they walked up and stepped from stone to stone, careful not to slip. Grimalkin hopped along behind them with the inborn grace of the felines. Soon they were so close that Ally could feel the gentle spray of water hitting water on her face. Puck released her hand gently and stuck both hands into the water in front of him, palms out. Then, as if he was opening curtains to let the sunlight in, he pushed outwards, and the water parted for him and split into two separated falls. He stepped up onto a little cave in the rock wall and turned to assist Ally, who took his hand again gratefully. Grimalkin leaped up behind them, and the water eased shut again. Ally looked back over her shoulder and blew out a whistle.  
"Wow," She whispered in awe. Glamour would never cease to amaze her.  
"And now no one will ever know we're here," Puck snapped, and emerald fire burst along the walls of the cave, lighting it up like New York. A good-sized log cabin stood in the middle of the cavern, well kept and homey. "It's the perfect getaway."  
"I'll say," Ally agreed with a grin.  
Grimalkin stretched out beside them, claws unsheathing for a second before retracting again as he straightened. "Well now that we are here I would say it is time to catch up on some relaxation before beginning again tomorrow."  
Puck scrubbed a hand over his eyes, "Agreed. C'mon, Al, lets head in." She nodded and followed him to the front door, which opened easily into a dark room which lit up as soon as Puck stepped over the threshold, a fire blazing in the fireplace. A bearskin rug with the head still attached spread over the floor in front of the fire, under a brown leather armchair. A bed was set up in the corner, shrouded in shadow where the fire didn't reach, and covered in comfy pillows and animal skin blankets. Puck kicked off his shoes and Ally did the same, heading over to the bed and flopping down tiredly. Puck chuckled and followed suit, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her back into him. She felt his head settle in the side of her neck, his forehead resting on her shoulder comfortably and his hair tickling her cheek.  
"Night," She whispered with a small smile. How could he be so undeniably hot one minute and so ridiculously adorable the next?  
"G'night..."He slurred, already half asleep. She closed her eyes and nuzzled into a pillow to get comfortable. This was by far the best place she had ever slept.

**Short, I know, but you **_**did **_**just get a long one. Keep in mind this is probably the last purely cute chappy you'll be getting since the serious stuff'll be coming in soon. Oh yes, I have a lot in store for our little lovebirds~! They shall be tested~! I'm done...you get the point. Expect Rowan in the near future. Not time wise...chapter wise. I honestly can't tell you when I expect to finish this, but it is definitely nearing a close. Wow...I've really never been able to say that about a multi-chapter. ^_^ oh yay how I've matured. xDD**

**Queenie- Yes, yes they did. I totally expected this reaction from you, too xDD. Oh the entertainment~! And of course I called them sex monkies~! **

**Omfg his dirty lines I loved those so much words cannot express. I don't even remotely control him anymore, he just goes off on his own, as it should be. Him and his mouth~! xD And then he has to go and get all adorable on us and just mess with my feels...what a complete ginger xD. **

**Oh dear that little detail. I guess there are a lot of bite marks on her pillows~? :3 I hope you liked this chapter as much as the last~ The Nevernever's so fun to write, I never know what's gonna happen~! **

**Daydreamer- Ah always nice to hear from you~! :D That was a really bad ass line for her~ My baby's growing up ;-;. **

**Yes tha hawty hawt hawt chapter that I had so much fun writing~ xD I'm glad you asked for it~!**

**I'm glad that chappy was long enough for you, I was trying my best xD.**

**KuraiHanazono- Oh yeah, that I knew. Nice choice of name by the way xDD Very accurate. I'm glad you liked that chapter~ means a lot :D. **

**xX Blood-Bond Xx- Omfg that's great I was worried it wasn't long enough xDD. And thank you, it means a lot that you would say that~ :D. **


	16. One Way or Another, I'm Gonna Find ya

**Hummunahummunahummuna. Okay I'm done...I'm here...I've got it...new chapter and...stuff. There's some cute-ness in this chapter because I couldn't cut you guys off all together that would just be...wrong :3. We get a little more of other people's veiws in this chapter too, so bleerrrggg. And by other people...I think you know who I mean. XD and here we go...another wonderful...action packed...jolly good time chapter. **

**One way or Another, I'm Gonna Find ya**

It was Puck who woke up first this time. He yawned, burying his face into Ally's hair and breathing in her scent. She smelled distinctly citrusy, and it made him smile just a bit. Slowly, so as not to wake her, he drew his arms back from her, pushing up into a sitting position. He stretched his long limbs with another of his colossal yawns and placed his bare feet on the wooden floor. Again he smiled, it would never cease to satisfy him to be home, in a place he made for himself and those he trusted. Maybe not the cait sith, so much, but Ally definitely. Standing, he looked back at her, feeling the tingling sensation travel through him again. He wondered if this was how Ash had felt with Ariella. He sighed, well that thought wasn't a punch to the gut or anything. Scrubbing a hand over his face he sighed and headed over to put his boots back on. The furball and Ally didn't seem to notice him padding around the good-sized cabin, so he quietly opened the door and stepped out. Thoughts of the past flooded his mind freely, as if it didn't kill him to remember. As if it didn't tear him apart to recall her every word, movement, and look of disapproval she so often gave him when he went to far with one of his pranks. It wasn't all that different now, traveling in a group of three; one stubborn, independent girl and one other being with whom he loved to bicker and argue.

Ariella, Puck, and Ash.

Ally, Puck, and Grimalkin.

_Amazing how time seems to repeat itself. _Puck mused silently to himself as he stepped up to the waterfall. He splashed some cool, fresh water onto his face, hoping to clear his thoughts. He couldn't say he enjoyed reminiscing all that much at the moment. "Damn it to hell." He grumbled out loud this time, clenching his teeth as the water dripped down his sharp features. He almost attacked when two thin arms wrapped around his waist like a rope, but they were so familiar that he stopped himself and remembered where he was.

Ally let her cheek rest against his strong back for some time, unsure of what to say to calm his mind. She was always so bad at these kinds of things, so she just stayed silent and Puck lined his arms evenly with hers and covered her hands with his own. "I suppose it's almost time to go, isn't it?" She murmured quietly, almost drowned out by the roar of the waterfall.

"I guess so," Puck replied, squeezing her hands, "We've almost got it." She heard the reassuring smile in his voice. He turned in her arms and grinned down at her, "Get excited."

She snickered and smiled back, "Way ahead of you." She stood up onto her toes to reach his mouth with hers. She framed his face with her hands and grinned as she kissed him, sweet electricity running through her wherever she touched him. Grim padded up next to them silently, staring sleepily out at the waterfall.

"Shall we go?" He yawned as they hastily broke apart.

Puck grumbled unintelligibly under his breath and rolled his eyes. Ally smirked up at him and nodded, "Lets."

Puck turned and slid his hands into the water, opening it up once again. He flicked his fingers upwards and the stepping stones rose as they had before. Ally watched in awe. Grimalkin yawned again and groomed his front paw before hopping across the stones as easily as he had done it the first time. She stepped down and carefully maneuvered her way across the water. Puck was right behind her, whistling an upbeat tune, completely unbothered by the time Ally took.

When they all finally made it across, Puck led them through the trees once again as everything returned to normal behind them.

...

Ally and Puck spoke in quiet tones as they walked, Grimalkin trailing behind them idly. It was meaningless small talk to pass the time. He teased her to make her laugh, to see her smile. If he didn't she would just over-think things and worry a dent into her bottom lip. She grabbed onto his hand at one point, and he squeezed it back playfully, bringing it up to his lips and grazing her fingers.

His eyes met hers; she had tied her brown hair up and now a few strands fell into her silvery-blue orbs. He smirked at her and quirked an eyebrow. Ally smiled back, bumping his shoulder with hers as they walked.

"So who is this person who _might _know where my aunt is?" She asked him, watching her sneakers as they tread the ground.

"Oh, just an old friend. He mostly just keeps track of the population of the Summer Court. Oberon can't do _everything_, you know, so he has someone watch over the kingdom for him to make sure everything is going as it should. He has multiple people on the job, even I do it for him sometimes, and that's kinda how I met this guy." Puck sighed and smiled at a small bird perched in a nearby tree, "If anyone knows where your aunt is it's him."

She nodded, "Sounds that way."

A few minutes later found them coming up to a small shack under the cover of some thick trees. "There it is," Puck pointed at it, "But it doesn't look like anyone's home."

Grimalkin froze in place, a noise somewhere between a hiss and a growl rumbling deep in his throat. All of his grey fur stood on end, and Ally and Puck exchanged worried glances. "Something is wrong here," The cat's yellow eyes flicked back and forth as he tried to detect the thing that was making him so uncomfortable. Both Ally and Puck drew their daggers at his words, going rigid and alert. Nothing appeared to be out of place from this distance, but then they were still a ways away. Grim disappeared, as was expected, and Puck motioned for Ally to follow him.

One of the things Ally noticed was how cold it got the closer they got, and by the look of his shiver, so did Puck. She caught his eye with a little wave of her hand, "Do you think...?" She trailed off quietly as they crept closer.

His face was grim as he realized what she was saying and he gave a short nod, "It _has _to be. He must've caught wind of what we're doing. News travels incredibly fast here." Ally's heart rate picked up as she remembered Ash...and Rowan. She shuddered from more than the cold as Rowan's vile grin entered her mind, and his disgusting touch. She sincerely hoped that if it had to be anyone it would be Ash. She didn't know if she could deal with seeing the older brother again. Coming up to the door of the shack, they could see that the place was ransacked. The windows were broken, furniture overturned. Blood spattered the walls and floor. And...

Bent haphazardly over the overturned couch, Ally could see torn rags that might've once been clothing, vines and thorns winding out from the fabric in the vague form of a burly body. She gasped and grabbed for Puck's hand.

"Puck, _look_!" She whispered frantically, pointing through the shattered glass.

"What is it?" He almost choked when his gaze fell on the dead fey, or what was left of him. "_Shit_." He cursed, "We need to leave."

"Oh I don't think you and your lady friend are going _anywhere_, Goodfellow," a deep voice chuckled darkly. They both turned slowly. Puck's jaw was clenched dangerously as he looked upon the dark, tall men in armor with sharp spines rising from the shoulders.

"_Ah_," Puck mused, adopting a careless pose as he eyed them each in turn. Three armed and extremely dangerous Faeries. "Thorn guards. Did Rowan send you to welcome us, then? How thoughtful of him."

The leader of the thorn guards stepped forward, drawing his sword, "We have specific orders to bring the girl to Prince Rowan and to kill anyone who is to stand in our way." He gave a savage smile as he slid gracefully into a battle stance, "And may I say it will be a _pleasure _cutting you down, Summer fool."

Puck crouched, looking predatory as he gave a snarling leer, "Well I'm not so sorry to say that said girl is _mine_, and I don't fancy sharing. Rowan is cordially invited to fuck himself." The other two thorn guards followed their leader, drawing their swords and readying themselves. Ally was a little caught up on how Puck had called her _his_. Feeling a little exhilarated, she tightened her grip on the hilt of her dagger. Letting out a roar, the leader threw himself at Puck, who snapped up his daggers to catch the serrated blade easily.

There was another shout and Ally swirled to see another rushing at _her_. His sword was raised above his head and his face was twisted angrily. Her body moved on its own, throwing itself back into a backwards summersault, just missing the blade's teeth as they dug into the dirt. Arms wrapped around her as she rose from the ground, and she heard Puck shout for her. She turned her head to see him locked in a tight battle with the leader, blood seeping from a cut on his cheek but looking otherwise unharmed. He held off the sword I an X of his two daggers, his green eyes locked on her as she struggled.

She wasn't about to let him get hurt because he was paying to much attention to her. Bracing herself, she bent forward and sent her head back with as much force as she could muster, striking the man's mouth and nose with her skull. He yelped in surprise and pain, his hold on her breaking. She turned on him and shot her foot out, hitting his chest and sending him tumbling back into the shack. His sword fell from his hand and he slumped against the wall holding his face.

Behind her, Puck whooped loudly as two more of him slid out from the shadows, grinning viciously. They grabbed the leader from behind-each taking an arm for himself-and pulled tight until he dropped his sword. The real Puck dashed forward and sunk his dagger hilt deep into the thorn guards chest. With a dismayed yell, he shuddered and collapsed in on himself, transforming into a cluster of thorny bushes. The other two Pucks disappeared with him, and the real one stood breathing heavily, smiling through a film of blood.

Ally was snapped back to reality by a blunt object smacking her skull from the side. She fell to the ground, stars dancing in front of her eyes as she weakly tried to push herself up again. A thorn guard-the one she had attacked before-kneeled before her, nose dripping scarlet. "I'm sure Rowan wouldn't mind _slightly _damaged goods. I'll take your hand and feed it to the redcaps, _little whore_." He yanked her wrist up and brought his blade to it, letting the teeth teasingly slice through the pale skin.

She cried out in pain, a warm but urgent voice filling her disoriented head like honey. _Aim for the throat, love. Come now, this is no time to sleep._ Her fingers tightened on her dagger as the sword pressed deeper into her other hand. With an angry cry, she thrust her hand up at the man's throat, aiming for where she thought the jugular was. He fell away, choking on his own blood and scraping at his throat, where her dagger was buried hilt-deep. Her hands shook as she watched, unable to tear her eyes away from the horrible sight. Her father soothed her from her aching skull. _It had to be done, my girl. It will be alright now._

Warm hands slid into hers as she let herself fall again, too tired to hold herself up any longer. Puck squeezed her shaking digits and hushed her, pulling her into his chest. "I have you now. You did what you had to." He eyed the clearing warily, searching for the other enemy. "You take out the _other _one, by any chance?" Ally's eyes widened as she shook her head up at him, confirming that no, in fact, she hadn't.

Puck cursed and went to stand, but stopped short, his eyes widening in surprise and agony as a trickle of blood slid from the corner of his mouth. "The _other one_...is right here," Said the last Thorn guard, his sword buried into Puck's shoulder. Ally screamed Puck's name-his _real _name. A cry of pure, unabashed fear before everything went black.

"_Robin_!"

**Whoo~! I liked this one xD fight scenes are always fun, and I believe I see...is that a **_**cliff hanger**_**~? Why yes...it **_**is**_**. I figured I'd try it. You guys are kinda fun to tease, ya know? :3 I planned out the rest of the story and now I'm really excited to finish it~! I'm thinking about planning something for our favorite little siblings in the future...but you know...shit happens. **

**Guest- omfg am I being looked up to~? Oh holy hell I can't.. ;-; you're wonderful. Who said Puck wasn't real~? ;D kidding, thanks so much for reading and taking time to review~! It made my day. And no problem, Julie really needs to learn how to give Puck his spotlight every once in a while, y'know? xD Thanks again~!**

**Like a Ninja- You totally changed your name again, didn't you? I almost didn't recognize it. Or am I just imagining things? xD Thanks so much. Yes be afraid...be very afraid. MUAHAHAAHAHAHA~! That was ridiculous, I should stop xD. And I have absolutely no clue where the waterfall is, maybe if Queenie really does steal me away we can find it together xD. I agree, they're so cute xD. Aha, my mom's allergic to cats ;-; I can't get one until I move out. I think I might just name him Grimalkin when I do, though :D. Inteeeensseee~! Sounds good, yo xD. Yeah, the nickname is definitely because she draws XD. Thankies :3 you're cool, too xD. Tumblr has taught me how to die multiple times and survive, though I think Queenie's able to because she's the Queen of Air and Darkness so what can't she do ;-;. xD I look forward to more reviews from you :D they're always nice and long xD. (2 reviews in a row=long long long reply XDD)**

**Queenie- Oh that's okay :D I always look forward to hearing from you no matter when your reviews come :D. Worth the wait, I say xD. And now that they finally had sex your totally gonna be waiting for more, aren't you? xDD Ah, yes, glamour is so fun to play with :3. OMFG BUT THERE MIGHT BE A SEQUEL GIVE ME TIME AH XD. But then the Nevernever might be a fun place to live, especially if I get to live a little longer and write more. NO SCHOOL IN FAERYLAND. . who said that? **

**KuraiHanazono (I'm always worried I spelled that wrong no matter how much I check it)- it isn't the last cute chapter I promise, just the last **_**purely **_**cute chapter xD. The action has to start some time. And yes, every single word and more xDD very very true. OMFG smut xDD I'm not sure if I...Oh god but...oh dear XD I don't even know if I can~! . so stressed about that idea now XDD I'll think about it. **

**xX Blood-Bond Xx- Oh yeh~ xD I wish I could visit it, it seems so nice. xD Oh Puck's charm~ what can I say, he's had a lot of years to perfect it~. xD Yeah, I've been struggling with where I should put her father and where I should leave him out. He's just so nice ;-; oh yeah. That Rowan thing. eheh, sorry, I thought I already said it in another AU xD mah bad. Thanks~ :D you're reviews are really helpful~! :3**


	17. Well Look Who it is

**Oh holy baby jesus I'm so fucking tired but I still have time fore you lovelies. Yeah...let's go with that. Just all about uploading lately~! Only a few more chapters to go and then it's brainstorming time again, oh joy. Just be excited, because I'm about 80% sure there's gonna be a sequel. Shhh don't tell my readers. O_O anywhore, let's get on with it, shall we? (Still don't own this series~ in case you know...you were wondering or anyting ;D) **

**Well Look Who it is**

"Human, it is time to wake up." The voice was horribly garbled and warped, so much so that Ally almost didn't understand it. She groaned and rubbed her eyes, turning on her side defiantly.

"Don't make this harder than it must be, half breed, open your eyes now or you may never be able to open them again."

Ally pondered on that. Was that supposed to be a threat? The voice was so monotonous and flat that she couldn't tell. She couldn't tell who it was, either. It sounded vaguely familiar, but the name of the person slipped her mind. She was just so tired.

"Human, do not test me."

Ally groaned loudly, unable to form coherent words. She swung the arm she wasn't lying on wildly to try to bat the voice away. The abyss of unconsciousness was calling her, and it was the most seductive thing she'd ever heard. Almost a disembodied voice that hypnotized her into a deeper sleep that was impossible to wake from.

"All right then, I see that maybe force is the most effective way to go about this."

Ally sighed and buried her face into the crook of her elbow, rolling onto her stomach and relaxing into the quiet darkness again. Then came a poking, violent and insistent. Sharp poking. Like the tip of a sword or claws, right along her back. With a shriek more of surprise than pain, she threw herself to the side, landing her on a cold hard floor. With an annoyed moan she opened her eyes, rubbing her sore tail bone and pushing herself up into a sitting position.

A grey blob launched itself from somewhere beyond her peripherals and sat in front of her. She rubbed her eyes to rid herself of the blurry vision. It cleared after a few minutes of sitting there, and she rested her eyes on Grimalkin's small, fluffy form in front of her. "Finally. I was beginning to think that Faery had actually claimed you for it's own. Welcome back to the living world, half breed."

"Grim!" She exclaimed, holding her head which had begun to ache. "What happened?"

"You were hit on the head, human. Quite hard, too, I'm not surprised you don't remember. Lucky thing Clover Freewood was around to rescue you and Goodfellow." He went to batting at the dust particles that floated in the rays of sun that pierced the room they were in. One look around showed a twin sized bed covered in quilts and fluffy pillows. The walls were wood. The window was across the room from the bed, large and partly covered with thick curtains that only let a few rays of light through.

Something about that name stuck with her, though. Clover...Freewood. She ran fingers through her hair and sighed, as if she could physically dig the memory out. Grimalkin noticed her struggle and rolled his yellow eyes.

"Your aunt. The one you were looking for."

Ally's eyes widened and she gasped, "She's here?" She whispered, too shocked to speak any louder. Grim gave one nod, watching her intently. And then another thought came to her, sending a weight right to the bottom of her stomach. Puck. She stood quickly spinning around and making her way to the door. Yanking it open so fast it squeaked, she exited the room and took in the rest of the home. There was a gathering space with a few arm chairs in front of a fireplace. Along the wall, there were a few more doors, all closed.

"The third one is where Goodfellow is, though I don't believe he is awake yet." Grimalkin's voice floated up from behind her, and she headed to his door without hesitation. She stood outside of it for a few seconds, wondering what she would see on the other side. She cursed herself for passing out so quickly and not paying attention to what had happened. Slowly she opened the door to peek inside. Puck lay on a bed, breathing unevenly and drenched in sweat, but unconscious. He was on his back and his face was twisted in pain. Herbs and empty cups were strewn about the room, and a woman with waist length chestnut hair sat at his bedside, putting finishing touches on the wrappings around his chest. Ally stepped into the room quietly, and the busy woman took no notice of her. She was tall, Ally could see that from the way she had to bend her legs back when sitting on her small wooden stool. She looked beautiful-even from the back-thin, willowy, and graceful in her movements.

Grim cleared his throat, sitting himself next to Ally's feet in the room, and the woman jumped. She turned to face the two and smiled as soon as she realized who it was. "Well I see you're doing well, dear. You had quite a bump on your head when I found you, but the herbal oil I rubbed on it should've taken care of it. Come, sit." She stood and motioned to the stool she had vacated. "Oh don't worry," She waved a long-fingered hand at Ally's bashful look, "I just finished him up. He'll be fine, though I can't say he won't be uncomfortable when he wakes up."

Ally gratefully took the seat she was offered. In a small voice, she asked, "When will be wake up, do you think?"

The woman smiled warmly at the girl and winked a golden-brown eye, "Oh at the soonest it'll be a few mortal hours. At longest probably by next morning." Ally nodded and gave a relieved breath, turning to look at Puck. "He's lucky, he is." The woman's voice was quiet, "If that thorn guard hadn't been so angry and had paid attention to where he was stabbing he would've gotten him straight in the heart."

Ally didn't want to think about that. "You're Clover Freewood, aren't you?" She asked without taking her eyes from Puck's pained face.

"Yes I suppose I am," The woman-Clover-chuckled lightly, her laugh sounding like music and honey.

"I'm Ally, or Alyssa. Rallyn's daughter."

Clover's sharp intake of breath came next, and then a tired sigh. "I might've guessed it. You look so much like him."

"Do you know why I'm here?" She asked, for the first time meeting her aunt's eyes since sitting down.

"I have an idea," Clover's thin lips pursed and she ran fingers through her hair. "You want me to unseal your magic?"

Ally nodded, "My mother had it sealed when I was too young to realize what was happening. Now I'm older and know what I am, I'm old enough to make decisions for myself and this is one of them. I want to be able to use it fully."

"I was never fond of your mother, but I understand why she wanted what she did." Clover sighed, "Come, let's let the boy rest while we discuss this elsewhere?" The suggestion ended like a question, but Ally heard the authority in it. She nodded and stood, following her aunt out of the room and into another.

The kitchen was old time-y, kind of like Deidre's was. Instead of a stove there was a big black cauldron-like bowl hanging over a place to start a fire. There was a round table with four chairs around it, a small basket of lilies as a center piece. The scent of them filled the room. Clover murmured a few words and waved her hand, causing a fire to start up under the cauldron, which she quickly removed. She filled a kettle with water and hung it over the fire before grabbing a two mugs and setting them on the table. Ally watched as Clover went digging through various jars retrieving herbs and leaving them to boil in the kettle.

She finally sat down and met Ally's questioning eyes, "A mix of pain-relieving leaves," She supplied with a small smile, "I suspect you'll both do well with it."

Ally nodded, touching her aching head absently. This headache certainly wasn't going anywhere without help. "So you'll do this for me, right?" She asked.

Clover pursed her lips and exhaled heavily through her nose, watching Ally closely. "Listen, I think it would just be a whole lot easier if you let it be. You've been a human your whole life, why not just leave it that way? I'm sure your boyfriend in there would be happy to help with disguising your looks."

Ally groaned without really meaning to, "Why is it that no one wants me to use glamour? What's so bad about it?"

Clover shook her head and gave an apologetic smile, "I'm sorry, I just don't think you know exactly what you're getting yourself into. This is serious; I hope you realize that this is more than just doing a few magic tricks."

"She knows, Clover. This human has shown even me that she is fully capable of taking this seriously. I was as skeptical as you are now, but I'm certain that she will be able to handle this." Grim was perched near the fire, on a counter top, staring straight at Ally as he spoke. The girl was startled, to say the least, that the cat was jumping to her defense. She hadn't been completely sure where she stood with the cat, but she hadn't been aware that he would be willing to speak in her favor without expecting something in return.

Clover sighed at him, a little agitated, "Must you lay up there like that? I prepare food there, and cat hair isn't really my particular favorite hors d'oeuvre." Grim only yawned and turned back to the fire, basking in the warmth. Clover grunted and turned back to Ally. "Well if you've gained that cat's approval you really must be something. But I'm still a little wary..."

"Show her the dagger, Al," The voice made Ally jump and Clover scowl.

"You're supposed to be resting! I didn't wrap you up to have you bleed all over my floors when you woke up." Ally turned, hardly listening to Clover's nagging as she took in the boy in the doorway.

He was grinning sheepishly at Ally's aunt, not looking the slightest bit apologetic about being up and about. He looked considerably less sweaty, though some still shined on his brow and shoulders. The bandage wrapped across his chest, ending just above his stomach area. He still wore his trousers but was barefoot. The cut on his face was nearly healed, though she saw a few bruises dotting his arms that hadn't been there before. She stood suddenly and he switched a slightly startled gaze to her. Without a word she took a few strides towards him and framed his face with her hands, pulling down until his lips hit hers. His eyes widened a fraction but he moved a hand to the small of her back and returned her urgent kiss, relaxing into the familiar feel. The squeal of the kettle was what broke them apart. Ally's cheeks flushed as she realized what she did, and Puck seemed a little dazed but kept his ever present grin on his face.

Clover poured the tea into the mugs and set the kettle to the side. "Well now that we're all here I guess I should introduce myself." She looked at Puck, locking eyes, "Clover Freewood. You must be Robin Goodfellow." Puck nodded.

"I overheard you all talking and kind of pieced it together from there." He and Ally made their way to the table and they Each claimed their cups. Ally sipped from her's and almost instantly the sweet, honey-suckle taste flooded her senses, whisking away the pain in her head.

Clover smiled, "Ah, well that saves a lot of explaining. Perhaps you can tell me of this dagger you were going on about."

"You said you were skeptical. I thought maybe if Ally showed you her dagger it might help you decide." He said, sniffing his drink carefully and raising an eyebrow. Clover clarified it was her own recipe.

Ally thought for a moment. It was worth a shot. She slid the dagger out of hiding and placed it on the table. "This was my father's, I'm sure you know."

Clover gasped, "Where did you get this? I've been searching for it ever since he died." Her eyes were their own little planets.

"He visited me...in a dream. I still don't quite understand how this works, but he's with me as long as I have it. He gave it to me and told me that he would help me find you, so that I could unseal my power. He wants this for me." She felt determination flare in her chest as she spoke of her father, and she felt his spirit nearby, giving her strength.

Clover was silent for a long time, and she just stared at the weapon that was once her brother's. She missed him terribly, and seeing this again was like seeing him in a way. Her eyes rose to her niece, and she counted out all of the things that came from her father. The nose, the lips, the determined set of her jaw. The woman let out a breath and smiled, really smiled, down at her hands which lay folded on the table top. "Rallyn, you never give up, do you?" She whispered fondly. When she looked back up, there was no longer any indecisiveness in her eyes. "All right then. If we're going to do this, then you're both going to recover fully, first. As soon as you both are well enough to go home, I will unseal your glamour and see you on your way."

Ally felt the grin spreading like a sickness across her face, and she heard Puck's surprised chuckle as they both realized that they had done it. It was finished. Ally would get her glamour back. Ally stood and hurried over to her aunt, giving her the biggest hug she'd ever given anybody. Clover gave a surprised laugh and returned it tightly, standing from her chair. It was enough of a 'thank you' for her.

...

Puck and Ally said their goodbyes to Grim when they made it back to the park. The park where it all began, in a way. The little grey cat sat at their feet, grooming himself, same as ever. For some reason, that made Ally even sadder. She had grown accustomed to Grimalkin's presence, and had taken comfort in the little guy's indifference. She felt pressure behind her eyes, but bit the inside of her cheek to stop tears from actually falling.

Puck smiled down at the feline, but Ally thought she might've seen a tinge of sadness, "We'll see you around, furball. Try not to get eaten without us, yeah?"

Grimalkin sniffed indignantly, "You are surely not the reason that I do not get eaten, if that is what you are attempting to say."

"Whatever you say, lazy-ass."

Ally grinned and crouched down, reaching to touch the cats thick fur, "Later, Grim. Enjoy those naps, okay?"

The cat seemed to smirk, his eyes glowing as he returned her stare, "I'll be sure to, human. Enjoy you're glamour." With that, he yawned and stood, turning back to the trees with a flick of his tail. "Do try not go blow anything up." And he disappeared.

Ally stood and turned to Puck, still trying not to cry. "Let's go home," She whispered with a small smile.

Puck scooped her up into a long, deep, slow kiss, allowing his tongue to explore the depths of her mouth before pulling away and grinning, "Ay."

**Ayooooooooooooo so effing wonderful you guys thought it was gonna be Rowan and I got you so bad and omfg I just can't I'm dying you guys really. Not really, but you get the picture. Gawd all this mushy stuff is so...bleh. **

**IAmBornSlytherin- Ah, I don't kill. Unless it's fictional people, then I'm a certified maniac. That's alright, I'm still glad you're reviewing xDD, much love. and thanks so much~ I'll think about the smut xDD. I'm glad you like it so far :D. **

**Daydreamer- Aha thanks so much X) that makes me happy. Sometimes he's a little hard to write, but I'm glad you think I'm doing a good enough job :D. Ooh, angst :D.**

**Bitterglass- Um...because I...said so...? xD**

**Alex Grimm- Aha close call, eh? ;D Thanks so much :3 I'm glad you like it. I can see why he would be, too, he's a difficult character to write sometimes :3. **

**Like a Ninja- Oh good I'm not insane xDD. **

**Aha :D yeah and then we can stake out the place until he shows up and be all "Rawr :I not so secret now, son~!" I'm so done...lack of sleep makes me crazy xDD.**

**Omfg ginger cat :D a ginger cat with green eyes would be perfect xD. **

**Oh yeah, we Tumblr users pretty much get so used to being murdered by feels that we just learn to walk it off xDD Or blog it off in this case. **

**(Onto the real review's response, then XD) **

**Thanks so much, I really had fun writing the glamour and other shiz :D. There's just so much it can do and I'm all 8DD. And he is...Wish I was in Ally's shoes at this point, to tell you the truth xDD. **

**xD When in doubt, headbutt your way out. Yes, I agree, he should watch his face around her xDD. (Long reviews are awesome, don't be sorry xDD) **


	18. Hello Again

**Ha, you could have had this yesterday but I collapsed on my fat ass and decided not to get up. Too bad, at least it wasn't the same today. So here we are, only a few more chapters after this one and then it's on to brainstorming what'll happen next. Sounds fun. Maybe I'll do a few one-shots, too, because I have an idea for a few stored away in my non-existent brain. **

**Hello Again**

**2 years later**

Ally smiled up at him as they laid in the grass of the park. Puck smirked down at her, twirling the stem of the flower she had just created and tapping her nose with the petals. She laughed and bumped his shoulder playfully before taking it from him and smelling it. The sweet floral aroma washed over her with a slight tingle of magic. She gave a little prideful huff; she had _made _that. A few years ago she hadn't been able to will a small breeze, and now that she had unsealed her glamour she had been practicing with Puck ever since. She was coming along nicely, too. She was pleased with how quickly she learned, and he had even been teaching her to fight, both with and without glamour. She was more fey now than she had ever been, and it felt _amazing_. That wasn't the only thing that had changed. Her mother had managed to stay sober, and her relationship with her oldest daughter had drastically improved because of it. Puck had been hanging around more and more, despite his natural urge to always be on the move. Ally didn't have anywhere to go; it seemed her journey was done. Instead of returning to their old routine of meeting at the park every day, Puck all but lived with the small family, only occasionally wandering off on one of his little adventures. All in all, they were happy. They hadn't yet been bothered by Ash or Rowan, but Puck always said that they'd be back at some point. Ally wanted to be able to help when they were. She had been all but completely useless when she was first confronted by the brothers, but with enough practice she figured she'd eventually be able to hold her own. Not quite defeat them; that wouldn't come for a _long _time.

A shriek made them both jump and rise from their relaxed positions in the grass, eyes searching for trouble. Not too far, Rory chased Gretchen in a game of _catch me if you can _while Annie the piskie buzzed excitedly around them. Puck gave Ally a quick glance, smirking.

"Paranoid much, there?" He teased, poking her side.

She jumped away with a laugh, "You were thinking the same thing." Puck chuckled and held out an arm as Gretchen ran past, catching her by the stomach and lifting her up onto his shoulder with a playful roar. She shrieked with giggles and tried to squirm free, but to no avail. Annie proceeded to tickle the young girl, causing louder laughs and more squirming and jerking. Ally watched in amusement, smiling absently as her boyfriend teased her siblings for a while, chasing them and adopting a few different animal forms. It was a nice sight to see; she loved that her brother and sister were so happy now.

They all goofed off like that until it got dark and they had to go home. Ally and Puck walked behind the kids hand in hand, murmuring in low tones to each other. When they came up to their building, he turned to her with a small reluctant smile, "Hey, I need to tell you something." His voice was a low rumble.

She raised an eyebrow, "Mm? What is it?"

He gave a slightly agitated sigh and scrubbed his eyes with a palm, "Oberon's called me back to court for a while. He's well aware of my situation, and he's allowing me to return when my job is done, but for now I'm going to have to bail out on you guys."

Ally gave him a worried look, "Is everything alright?" She asked so the other three in front of them wouldn't hear, "It isn't anything serious?"

Puck shook his head, "No, it wasn't _that _urgent. But still, Oberon isn't one to be kept waiting, so I'd better go now so I can get this over with. I'll be back in a week or so, alright?"

Ally didn't like the sound of him being gone for a whole week, but then she knew they had forever to spend together. No matter how much she liked having him around he was still a summer fey, and he had duties to fulfill for his king. "Be careful, then." She smiled and pecked him on the corner of the mouth. He smelled of earth and apples, like always, with a spice to it that was all his own. She loved it.

He slid his arms around her hips to pull her into his chest for a quick hug before letting go and kissing her forehead. "See ya soon, Sketch." With a wink he morphed into a big black raven, circling them all a few times with mocking caws before flying off.

"Where is he going?" Rory wondered aloud, staring off thoughtfully after the bird.

"He has to go back to Faery for a while, but he'll be back soon. C'mon lets get inside before you two catch a cold." Ally said, and as if to prove her point, a cool autumn breeze blew and ruffled their hair and clothes. She shivered, wondering if that breeze wasn't a little _too _cold for fall before she herded her siblings inside.

...

A few days later Ally sat in her study, hair tied up in a messy knot and oversized pullover hoodie adorning her frame. Her bare feet tapped the floor as she dragged the pencil across the sketch pad. It was a no color piece of ravens soaring through the air, feathers raining down everywhere as they swirled in mid-air. A yawn forced its way out of her mouth and she checked her phone. One in the morning. She sighed and dropped the pencil. Time to cut herself off. She stood from her chair and pulled her PJ shorts down a little bit.

With another yawn she made her way out to the kitchen. Her mother looked up from her cup of tea at the table, still dangling the tea bag above the surface.

"Hey, honey. Didn't know you were still up." She greeted with a small smile.

Ally scrubbed her eyes with her palms, "I don't think I _am_." She replied tiredly, going to dig through the snack drawer for a chewy granola bar. She found her favorite s'mores flavored and snatched up two of them. Tearing off the wrapper, she bent off a piece and popped it into her mouth. "What're _you _doing up so late?"

Her mom chuckled, "I was up working for a while trying to catch up on a few things. I decided to have a cup of tea before bed."

Ally lifted herself onto the counter top and kicked her feet idly through the air. She'd almost forgotten that her mother had gotten a job. It was one of those office jobs; a place no ones heard of and that let people work from home because 99 percent of it was done on a computer, anyway. "How's that going?"

"We'll enough." Her mom sighed and raked fingers through her hair, "At least I'm getting _somewhere_."

"Yeah, I suppose so." Ally replied, biting into the bar.

They sat in silence for a bit before the conversation took a new turn, "So when is Puck supposed to come back?"

Ally shrugged and stared at her snack, trying not to miss him too much, "He said it'd be a week at least, so probably in a few days." She said, and then added, "Not too long." She was mostly trying to convince herself. She didn't want to start acting like those girls who didn't even try to function without their boyfriends.

"Not at all," Her mom agreed finishing off her tea. She stood and walked over to the sink, washing it before setting it on the counter with the rest of the clean dishes. "Try to get some sleep, _okay_?" She asked, planting a kiss on her daughter's forehead before heading back to her room.

Ally stayed where she was, listening to the door of her mom's room close before she finished off her first bar. As she ripped the other one open, she heard a thump in the hall, like something heavy being dropped. She jumped a little, staring into the dark hallway. Nothing was there, so she slid off of her perch, leaving her other half-opened bar lying on the counter, and headed down. She checked the kids' room first, her heart thumping in her chest. She had seen too many horror movies to think investigating the strange noise could turn out well, but she did anyway because she had family to protect. The light was off and they snored in their beds, the little twinkle of Annie the only illumination on Gretchen's pillow. She noticed Ally and perked up, flying over on little gossamer wings. Her flower petal hair twitched with her movement.

Ally shook her head, "Did you hear something?" She whispered to the small girl. Annie shook her head and shrugged. Ally smiled a little at her own nerves; she must've just been hearing things. At least she thought that was it...until _another _thump sounded, making them both jump. Annie flew out of the room and Ally closed the door quietly. Together they inched towards the next room; her own. Nothing, just like before. But across the hall, her studio door sat ajar. Only a bit, but noticeable enough. Ally knew for a fact she had closed that. She lifted a finger to her mouth when she looked to Annie, who looked about ready to flip. Slowly, Ally stepped up to the door, remembering what had happened the last time and feeling her stomach clench. Annie flew in through the crack, her little light bobbing around the room at top speed before she met Ally back at the door, shaking her head to indicate the coast was clear. Ally pushed the door open and flipped on the light, but nothing seemed to have fallen.

But wait...there on her desk.

A note. Even from the doorway she could see the elegant hand writing on the blueish paper. Her heart jumped into her throat and she went to retrieve it.

_I have something that belongs to you. Meet me at the Between to get it back. _

_R. _

A lock of crimson hair had fallen from the paper onto the picture Ally had been drawing before.

_Oh no._

**Aha, look who it is. I knew you were gonna show your face again sometime, ya lil shit~ **

**And now we are coming to the resolution...very very soon~! Ahahaha~! Okaays I'm done with that. I'll get right on the next chapter. :D I can't believe I'm actually finishing a story for once~! Kinda proud :3. Maybe I should get working on the Night World Story, too, then. They've been on hiatus for a bit :/...oops.**

**Daydreamer- Aha, yeah the sequel will be fun, especially since I think I have an idea that not a lot of people will see coming. And thank you, I never get tired of hearing that, no matter how much I fret over the fact that I think I'm not good enough xDD. And yeah, everyone calls him "Puck" so ending with the "Robin" adds a dramatic feel, glad it worked~! :D Thanks for reviewing.**

**Alex Grimm- I will update soon xD I hope this one came fast enough~!**

**Guest- 'Fraid so, dear :/. I'll miss him, too, but he was bitching about his naps xD.**

**Another Guest :D- Yay for him, yeah? xD I'd be less grossed out if it was me, but not everything works in my favor, so bleh... xD omfg not Tartarus :O. And I love pie, just like Dean Winchester. If I knew him personally we could be pie buddies :D. I cannot believe there are people who don't like pie o-o what a shame. They're missing out.**

**Queenie- Aha, that was a good line :D. I liked it a lot, and I'll definitely be using it outside of writing xDD. THAT'S NOT THE END YOU GET MORE FEELS HERE YOU GO ENJOY. Aha, kissing in front of grown-ups is just...ugh. But I figured why the hell not? Don't kill me yet or you won't get the rest. xDD**

**xX Blood-Bond Xx- That helped a lot, thanks so much. I hope the next couple chapters will resolve at least some of those problemos. And yes, as the days pass, the probability that there will be a sequel goes up inch by inch. Hopefully my updates for that one will be at a good pace, too, I hat keeping everyone waiting. Thanks again and I hope you enjoy the rest of this one~! :D**


	19. To Save a Life

**Who's ready to play another round of "Guess How Late I Stayed up Writing This One"? Sorry not sorry. I'm doing crappy in school and I just wanted to get this up before I forgot because I'm trying to be a good student in a school that gives me extreme depression. **

**School: "You want car accidents? We got car accidents!"**

**School: "Here, have some anxiety to go along with it!" **

**School: "How about six suicides? Sounds like a good idea." **

**School: "Oh, and have a dash of dickhead students." **

**Oh sorry is that me being bitter? Oh well, have another chapter :D. Keep in mind I was stressed and tired while I wrote this...really, its horrible. But I'll work hard on the next chappy while you all enjoy (maybe) this one. I'll also keep brainstorming for the sequel, and I might have a Summary for it to add to the end of the next/the last chapter of this fic. Depends on when I get it done. Send in some ideas if you wanna see anything specific in it, since I'm still thinking it over and whatnot I can probs fit it in somewhere...maybe. **

**To Save a Life**

She had spent the next hour pacing.

_Sure I've been training, but I'm no match for an ice prince._

She couldn't leave again, between her mother's fear of anything Faerie and Rory and Gretchen's fear of losing her again. There was no way she could tell them. But Puck...he was in _danger_. What would happen to him if she _didn't _go? Surely if he survived he would never forgive her for abandoning him. What if Rowan didn't actually have him? Was he really powerful enough to capture the great Robin Goodfellow? Was staying home and hoping it was a lie a risk Ally was willing to take?

No.

Not at all. She had to go. If anything she had to try to save him. Just try. For him. For herself. For Gretchen and Rory because she could not imagine what it would do to them if she had to tell them Puck wasn't coming back. They loved him as much as she, if only in a different way.

But then that meant she had to go now, when no one was awake, and she didn't have to say goodbye. They'd never let her leave, but this might very well be the last time she could ever see them. So quietly she made her way across the hall to her room, and dug around in her closet for something to change into. Pajama shorts and a sweatshirt she nearly drowned in were neither warm nor appropriate fighting apparel.

She pulled out a pair of fitted skinny jeans and slid into a purple long-sleeve before pulling on her dark utility jacket and a pair of chuck taylors. She snatched the iron ring from her nightstand and slid its chain over her head. She stuffed her dagger in the pocket of her jacket and left the room. Then, very quietly, she made her way to Gretchen and Rory's room, where they slept undisturbed. She went to Rory first, crouching down to touch her lips softly to his forehead. Then she went to Gretchen, and brushing some reddish-brown hair from her face, kissed her cheek. Without making a sound, she left the room. Annie met her in the hall after she turned from closing the door, flitting anxiously around her face.

"You have to stay here and let them all know I'll be back, okay?" The little thing looked hesitant, but Ally persisted, "_Please_. They need to know that I haven't abandoned them completely. If something happens to you then they have nothing. I'll be back soon."

Without another word she headed to the kitchen and grabbed a sheet of paper and a pen. She thought for a moment before writing her note:

_I know this is sudden, and you may have already found out I left, but I have to go back to Faery. Puck is in trouble; he could be killed. I know you're going to be worried, but I'll do my best to be as quick as I can. I love you all; stay safe. _

Tears stung her eyes and she sniffled before hurrying out the door. She took the stairs all the way down and burst from the apartment building, sprinting her way to the park. The cool wind of autumn stung her face and brought more tears to her eyes, but she kept going, unwilling to stop until she reached the edge of the Between and saw the man she loved safe and alive. He had to be alive. Her feet slammed the ground like gunshots and she didn't worry about being loud anymore. Her eyes spilled over and she let out a sob of worry.

By the time she got there she was breathing hard, gasping for air and shuddering with tears left unshed. She had to be strong going in, or she'd never make it. Never let the enemy see your weakness, something Puck had taught her in the beginning. Taking a deep breath, she stepped into the woods, chin up and staring out ahead of her. She kept herself on high alert, listening to any crack of branches under her feet and the fall of dead leaves and the whistling of the wind. She reached the river where she had nearly drowned, but no one was there.

Panic rose in her chest, and she drew in a breath, "Rowan, you coward! Where the hell is he?!" A dark chuckle echoed off the trees around her, and Rowan melted from the shadows on the other side of the river. He was dragging something by the hair along with him, and she saw a severely battered Robin Goodfellow, bound at the wrists, barely able to stay on his knees to follow. Green eyes above a gagged and bleeding mouth met hers, swimming with pain and panic.

"So you came. We were beginning to worry." The ice prince snickered with glee. He tore the gag from Puck's mouth and grinned, "Tell her how much you missed her, Goodfellow."

"Alyssa," Puck called to her hoarsely, and Ally bristled, "Alyssa, _go_. You shouldn't be here. Leave me."

Ally met eyes with Rowan and clenched her jaw. Why didn't this feel right? She saw him there, on his knees and weak and begging her to leave him. She had no doubt in her mind that he would've wanted her away from there, away from _Rowan_. So...why didn't she feel the familiar jump in her chest she did every other time she saw him. Why wasn't she beyond releived that he was _alive _if not exactly _okay_?

Minutes of silence passed.

"Do you think I'm _stupid_?" She asked after the long pause, deciding to go with her gut on this one. "You _bastard_! You don't really have him, do you?"

Rowan cocked his head at her, "Wha-"

"Even in the most serious of situations Puck has never called me by my full name...not _once_. Why would he start now? This is a fake," She had felt something off about him, and while she wasn't a hundred percent sure, at least this would confuse Rowan while she tried to figure out how she was gonna get the hell out of here.

Rowan scowled at her for a minute, but after a pause he chuckled, "So you aren't as dumb as I initially thought. Well done, it seems you were taught well." The Puck he held captive disappeared, and Rowan was over the border in an instant; one graceful leap that sent his long coat billowing out behind him like a sleek cape. Ally backed away quickly but Rowan was at her without hesitation. His sword appeared in his hand from inside his coat, and he brandished it expertly. Ally withdrew her dagger just in time to throw it up and block his blow. There was a screech of blade on blade and Ally jumped back swiftly, keeping her weight on the balls of her feet as Puck had taught her to do when fighting. It let you move quickly and easily, adding bounce to your moves. They circled each other like jungle cats, each analyzing the other's movement for anything that hinted at an approaching attack. There was no way she was leaving here without a fight, now.

Rowan was the first to attack, sending a flurry of razor sharp ice daggers hurtling towards her face. Ally focused and thrust her hand out, conjuring a gust of wind that threw the projectiles off course. She dove forward and brought her dagger down, aiming for Rowan's chest, but he spun away, bringing his sword around until the hilt connected with the back of her skull. Ally cried out and fell to the ground, rolling into her fall to distance herself from him. _On your feet, Al._ She reminded herself and scrambled upward.

"Come now, human. If you come along quietly maybe I'll _consider _forgiving you for running away before," He sneered at her, and she recognized the lustful look in his eye that disgusted her so much. It brought back memories best forgotten.

"Not a chance," She replied, trying to stop her voice from shaking.

Rowan opened his mouth to speak again but he was interrupted by a new voice. "I _do _believe we've been here before, your iciness." It said, "You should know by now that I don't like to share."

Ally looked up, and surely enough there stood Robin Goodfellow, lounging on a tree branch above their heads, glaring holes into the back of the Unseelie Prince's head. Said prince just smiled, tossing his sword from hand to hand. "I was _wondering _if you were going to show up, Goodfellow. Here to watch _another _girl die?"

Puck leered down at the dark haired boy, his green eyes blazing, "Oh, have you _finally _gotten over your gender confusion? I honestly thought you'd _never _figure it out." He said as he drew out his daggers. They glinted in the pale moonlight that peered through the leaves.

Rowan chuckled darkly, "Petty mockery will not save you _or _your plaything. But then, I suppose it's all you're good at, isn't it? Being the _fool_."

"I like to think of myself as a jack of all trades." Puck shot back and leaped from his perch. Rowan spun around and met both blades with his sword. There was a resonating clang as they hit, and the two Faeries struggled to gain the upper hand.

They stayed like that for half a minute, glaring into each other's eyes before Rowan brought his foot up and shot it out right into Puck's unprotected middle. He flew backwards with a grunt and rolled on his side a few feet before pushing up into a crouch. As Rowan started forward Ally sent feelers out into the ground. She felt the pulsing life of each tree that surround them until she found what she was looking for. She concentrated hard on the roots just in front of the winter royal and pulled upwards as hard as she could. The ground crumbled apart as the tree pushed through the dirt and caught the prince's boot in its trap. He went hurtling forward but caught himself with his hands at the last second. With a growl he pushed himself up and went running at her, ice-cold blade risen into the air.

She ducked under the slice and threw herself into him, tackling him to the ground with all she had. They wrestled on the ground for a while before Rowan overpowered her and decked her right in the face. Pain exploded in her jaw, like a red hot fire, but there was nothing she could do with him straddling her. He kept whaling on her until a boot connected with his face so hard that Ally was sure she had heard his nose crack. She could taste blood and was sure she looked like hell. She certainly felt like hell. Puck pulled her up by her arm and stepped on front of her slightly. Protectively. She couldn't help but smile.

"You okay back there, Al?" He asked, "Sorry I'm late. News travels fast, but not _that _fast."

"I'm fine, don't worry." She said, to which he snorted. Of _course _he was going to worry. They stood at the ready as Rowan lifted himself from the ground, holding a bleeding nose. Some blood leaked from the corner of his mouth, too.

He grinned a twisted smile at them both, "I'll be sure to make you watch as I slaughter him, human." He hissed. "Just sit back and enjoy the show."

She bristled, "Just _try _it, you prick." She challenged, stepping forward. Puck grabbed her arm and shot her a look that told her stay back but she glared, "You aren't doing this alone." After a while he let go reluctantly.

"How sweet." Rowan mocked before shooting off more icicles from all directions. Puck and Ally managed to deflect most, but they kept coming and they found themselves quite cut up by the end of the onslaught. They had even torn through her jacket, and the fabric was pretty durable. She felt blood seeping from all over, soaking red spots into her clothes and making them stick uncomfortably. Puck tossed a few furry orbs at Rowan. They exploded into squealing boars that charged him from all over, but he dismantled them after being knocked around a bit. Ally held out a hand and thorny vines snaked down from the trees, striking out at Rowan like serpents. Some caught him in the face and chest, opening cuts that spilled red onto his pale skin.

Meanwhile Puck was creating doppelgängers that slid from the shadows and surrounded the prince. Rowan danced around their attacks, stabbing and slicing until they all disappeared. He was breathing hard as he turned to the two other Faeries. "_My _turn." He sneered and spun at them. His blade came down but Puck threw up a dagger to block it. They hit wrong and his dagger went spinning into the air before burying itself into the soft dirt ten feet away. He swore and tossed his remaining blade to the other hand. He and Rowan ensued in a heart stopping battle, but Ally had no idea how to help. She _hated _it. She had trained with Puck endlessly and she only found herself feeling as helpless now as she did before.

Then she got an idea. While the other two were too busy to pay attention to her, she darted to the nearest tree and started scaling it, pulling herself up as high as she could go. She crouched in the branches and waited. Puck danced expertly around Rowan, seeming flawless in his methods. But they seemed almost as evenly matched as Ash and Puck had before. As if some kind of surprise would have to catch one of them off guard for the other to gain the upper hand.

Well, she'd just have to _be _that surprise.

It didn't take long for the two to end up directly under her tree, and that was where Rowan overcame Puck, bringing the hilt of his sword up and striking Puck directly in the temple. Puck stumbled to the ground before him and dropped his other dagger. Rowan began to bring his sword down but Puck's hand shot out and caught his wrist. They were both visibly shaking with the effort of keeping each other at bay. Puck was the first to slip up, and the blade sunk right into his side. His eyes widened and his mouth opened in shock and pain.

That was when Ally jumped. She gave a yell as she descended on the prince, her fingers gripping her dagger tightly. The impact was rough, and she felt the blade sink into his skin as they both hit the ground beside Puck. Ally rolled off but Rowan didn't move for a while. When she looked up she saw why. The blade was hilt deep in his back. He turned his head to look at her, and their eyes met.

His cool blue orbs held an icy hatred she had never seen before. The intensity of it was almost palpable. "You...little..._bitch_." He shuddered as he spoke, obviously in pain. She felt a weight settle in her stomach. Was he..._dying_?

Beside him she saw Puck rise, yanking the sword from his side and letting out a cry of pain. He cursed and threw the thing to the ground, his hand holding his wound. He limped over and tore Ally's dagger from Rowan's back and stepped over him. He was no longer a threat, and the first thing on the Faerie Jester's mind was Ally. It had been that way for a while now, he couldn't even remember when it had started. He knelt by her and set the weapon down, pulling her into his chest. She winced as pain shot through her arm. "Are you hurt?" He asked quietly, unable to speak much louder because it hurt enough as it was.

"My wrist," she murmured, "I think I sprained it. No big deal," she gave him a small smile. "You on the other hand..."

He chuckled, "We should probably go see Deidre."

Ally sighed, "I'm sure she'll be _thrilled _to have you back."

He grinned, "Well, who _wouldn't _be?" He stood and brought her with him. Once again he found himself leaning on her for support. Neither of them really minded. Together they collected Puck's daggers and bound the winter prince to be safe. Puck was loosing blood fast though. With some difficulty they made it across the border and into the Wyldwood.

"How far are we?" Ally asked worriedly. She saw how pale he was becoming, noticed his shortness of breath and the thin veil of sweat on his brow. She was loosing him.

"Not far, thankfully." He smiled reassuringly and squeezed her shoulders. "I'll be fine soon enough. Don't worry." To which she snorted. Of _course _she was going to worry.

**Wooo lookie there I told you it was bad omfg I suck I'm sorry. Shhh it'll be better next time...I hope. **

**Queenie- Omf I love a boyfriend who can get along with younger kids. So effing cute, the only thing cuter is how they are with pets. Yes, Rowan can't stand being out of the spotlight I guess, y'know. And as you can see he didn't lose to Rowan, it's ok. You needn't worry. Trick the Trickster, you say? IMPOSSIBRUUU :3 Much love**

**Daydreamer- Haha Ally can be...slightly...badass when she wants to xD If it is an epic sequel you want, it is an epic sequel you shall GET. :D**

**Alex Grimm- Omfg you're so nice tho. Thanks for reviewing so much and sticking with me through the whole (almost whole, I guess) story ^_^ much love, dear.**

**I don't think I missed anyone...? I hope not because you all deserve a personal thank you for staying with me this long :D. I'm excited, I've always wanted to do a sequel :D.**


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